Crystal of Darkness
by S. Hunter
Summary: The Crystal of Tamamo-No-Mae has been discovered and a clan works to bring about the completion of a prophecy. The Spirit Detectives and friends have to work together with the gods to ensure the end of all three worlds doesn't come about. Betrayel. Love.
1. Chapter 1

-1Chapter One

The air was cold as Sinamon watched the night sky above her. Something was out of place, but she couldn't tell what it was; something flashed by her, but too quickly for her to see. She felt as if something had struck her over the head. She glanced up to find Kurama standing there, looking down at her in silent amusement.

"So much for a good partner. What was that for?"

Kurama smiled, helping her though he didn't answer her. He looked out over the town, watching for a certain energy signature. Sinamon knew how hard it was on Kurama to have his best friend turn on them, but that's how things usually went with Youkai. Even though they both knew it couldn't possibly be true, it still hurt when they had no means of questioning him.

"Any sign of him?"

Sinamon shook her head, watching the emerald green eyes dull of all life.

"Kurama, you can't do this to yourself. One, Shiori will notice. Two, there's still a chance Hiei isn't evil. Now cut it out, I won't work with a severely depressed Spirit Detective. This isn't like you, Ku. What happened to the ruthless, I-don't-care-about-anything brother I used to know?"

They both had been Kitsune's before however, the Celestial Kingdom had decided to send them to the Ningenkai in Ningen bodies along with two others. Spirit Detectives were what the Lords and Ladies of the Celestial Realm or called Reikai by Ningens, called them. To be in the Ningenkai was interesting but brought with it the feelings most Youkai are immune to. They were honored to be given the task of protecting the Ningenkai.

Kurama closed his eyes, a breeze ruffling his long magenta hair, "I'm afraid he died along time ago."

He turned away, walking down the hill without glancing back at her. She sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"I'm sorry, Ku. I know Hiei isn't evil but I can't release him yet. The plan hasn't been completed," she whispered to the wind.

She hoped it wouldn't drift to the ears of her brother as he walked away slowly, his head downcast.

Hiei awoke, a throbbing pain in his head as he glanced around the room. It was a dark, musty room. Chains hung from the wall; some of the old captives hadn't yet left. He searched for an exit, but there was none that he could see. He shut his eyes as a bright light filled the room, temporarily blinding him.

"Hello, Hiei. I'm sorry for having to keep you here for this long period of time, but some things must happen before I can release you to return to your friends."

Hiei blinked, a female figure coming into view, her body completely hidden beneath a long back trench coat that fell to just above the heel of her boots.

"Who are you? Just wait till I get my hands on you, I'll make sure you never make the mistake of coming after me again. I'll kill you so easily that you'll wish to be alive again."

His kidnapper chuckled, her laugh flowing like music to his ears, "If only you truly knew who I was, I highly doubt you would be saying that."

Hiei glared at her wishing his eyes could bore into her and kill her where she stood, "I don't care who you are. Anyone who crosses paths with me is pleading for death."

She remained quiet for a few moments before speaking, "Your friend, Kurama, he searches for you like none I have ever seen. Is he a lover?"

Hiei remained silent, his eyes gleaming from across the room, penetrating the darkness. She knelt down, pushing some food towards him before making to leave.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly.

The girl flicked some hair over her shoulder saying, "A friend... The chains will disappear once I leave so you will be free to eat."

She disappeared in a flash of light, leaving a confused Hiei behind to scorn and think of painful tortures to inflict on his capturer.

Sinamon watched Shiori fuss over Kurama's well being as she noticed the lack of emotions in his eyes. Shiori was the Ningen Mother they had been born from, Kurama being two years older than Sinamon. She had long, ivory black hair that she kept pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck, silken tendrils lightly whispering over her skin. Her mud brown eyes stared at her son, worry and fear swimming in its depths though Kurama didn't seem to notice. Her light tan skin was hidden mostly beneath a light blue sundress. It was cut low in the front, stopping inches from revealing cleavage. Even while she knelt at her son's knees, nothing was revealed. The sleeves lightly brushed her forearm in loose ringlets. Even though it was the middle of fall, she still preferred her summer clothes.

Sinamon waited patiently until she left before latching onto Kurama, burying her head into his neck. He was slightly shocked before he placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to push her off.

"Sinamon, let go. Why are you doing this?"

Sinamon kept her head buried, speaking quietly, "I miss you. You've given up all hope on Hiei and now you're punishing yourself. I can't stand it. If you don't stop, Ku, I can't say how much longer we'll be together. Whether as partners or as siblings."

She let her grip slacken as she stood, turning her back on him. Kurama watched her leave, his eyes filled with confusion to hide the pain and despair he felt from losing another friend. He turned back to the picture he held in his hand. Hiei was standing there, his eyes concentrating on the bass guitar he was playing. He had been happy then. Of course, that was before those Youkai had stolen Yukina, Hiei's twin sister. They waited until he got there to brutally murder her. She had been sad to leave him, but he knew she was being called to the other side, a side where he would join her.

Now Kuwabara walked around in a daze, muttering to himself and training vigorously to be able to protect his friends and loved ones so none of them would end up like Yukina, his one and only true love. Botan was being sympathetic, waiting for the right moment to tell him the truth of how she felt though not knowing how he would respond. Even so, she was a Ferrygirl, full-breed and knew the limits such a relationship with a Ningen could cost her.

Kurama set the picture down, letting his head bow in defeat. He wished Kikiyo Yashime were here now, the Kitsune that had stolen his heart from the very first moment they had met. She always cheered him up though she didn't know that he was alive.

Sinamon walked up the steps to Genkai's Temple slowly; letting herself be drawn to the surroundings her friend had loved so. She wouldn't let the others know, but Yukina had been one of her few and far friends. Though now she would have to wait to get to the other side in order to see her again. At least she died knowing who her brother was; Hiei told her so she could die in peace.

She sighed, catching sight of Yusuke and Kuwabara training vigorously in the courtyard.

Yusuke continued to try and teach Kuwabara moves only Youkai or Spirit Detectives could do. She wanted to help Kuwabara though he still believed her untrustworthy and partly to blame for Yukina's death. Though it was partially true, if Sinamon had not let her guard down, none of it would have happened.

She glanced at her watch; KoEnma had said to meet him here in five minutes so she had a little time to spare. KoEnma was the Prince, the son of the Reikai King, Yama; who said which Ningens went to the Reikai and which to Makai; if they were truly evil, they even had the possibility of being sent to the Meikai or what was now known as the oblivion. She let herself rest against a rock, hoping this was not what she thought it would be. KoEnma might have found out who she was, and how Hiei's disappearance was linked to her.

KoEnma appeared moments later, his face calm though eyes like stone.

"Sinamon," he said from behind his blue pacifier.

Sinamon nodded to him, noticing Botan floating behind him, her face a mask of anger. Yusuke and Kuwabara had noticed them as well since they now headed that way. Sinamon watched as the Prince waited for them to come closer, turning his eyes back to her.

"I know what you did. Now just tell me why?"

Sinamon played the innocent asking, "Why what?" with a slight shrug of her shoulder.

Prince KoEnma's eyes narrowed in anger as he yelled, "WHY THE HELL YOU KIDNAPPED HIEI?! AND WHERE IS HE?!"

Sinamon shook her head, "What proof do you have? Or is this just the fact that I'm the new member of your team?"

KoEnma didn't falter, "We have eyewitnesses that were undercover when you kidnapped him." His eyes softened as he gazed at her, "Sinamon, why did you do it? If you give a reason, I might be able to get you off on community service."

Sinamon closed her eyes, letting the memory flash, Lord Inari's warning echoing in her head, '_Tell and I'll kill you. You'll receive the most painful, excruciating death I can give to anyone_.'

She opened them, shaking her head sadly, "I have my reasons and I can't say…"

Botan cut her off saying, "I bet you helped kill Yukina! You're such a sick minded Youkai, I wouldn't put it past you."

She began to cry, Kuwabara hugging her sadly.

Sinamon couldn't help but laugh, "I'm sick minded yet you're the one trying to get your friends boyfriend after she hasn't been dead for even three months. What I'm doing has a bigger purpose that will affect the whole world."

KoEnma shook his head, closing his eyes, "Sinamon, I have to do this. Yusuke, take her to the Reikai."

Yusuke glared at her, his finger pointed at her as he stepped towards her. It glowed a light blue, threatening to unleash an energy blast that would knock her out and even possibly kill her. Sinamon nodded, punching him quickly before running faster than they could see away. She found a tunnel to the Makai, but hesitated entering as she cast a glance back towards where her brother was. Finally she turned away, disappearing through the portal.

Yusuke and Kuwabara sat next to Kurama, watching him though he never looked up.

"Are you sure our source is trustworthy?"

Yusuke nodded sadly, whispering, "Yeah."

Kurama wiped his eyes on the back of his hand, the tears disappearing as soon as they appeared. He stood, his eyes completely vacant of anything.

"I'll find her whether I have to search to the end of the Makai and back."

His eyes turned to Yusuke who involuntarily shuddered at the glance but understood the reason for it. Though truly none of them could understand how it was that the girl you had raised could possibly turn on you without a thought of how it would affect you. Or having the person you trust the most turn their back on you without a second glance or even providing a reason. Kurama knew only to well what it was like to lose a friend though they didn't blame you even after their death but rather thanked you for fulfilling the one wish they had.

He had to find Sinamon and if she couldn't give a good reason for doing what she did, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She had turned her back on him too many times to be forgiven again. Hiei would easily be forgiven; Kurama knew that. Hiei had been there for him like no other since his last partner, Kuronue, and that had been over 20 years ago that he had died and left him to himself, the one person he couldn't stand.

Sinamon stumbled into the prison, slamming the door shut behind her as she turned to see a surprised Lord Inari seated before her.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be keeping those Spirit Detectives off our tails."

Sinamon looked away, "KoEnma found an eyewitness, they figured it out so I had to run."

Lord Inari got up, placing a hand on her shoulder, gripping it tightly, "And I had such high hopes for you but it seems they were for nothing. I do not need you anymore so you may join your friend."

With that he shoved her into Hiei's cell room, laughing as she fell roughly on the ground before he shut the door.

He sighed as he returned to his desk, smiling still, "This is for your good, my dear. This task will only be complete when you and the other Forbidden Child learn to truly love others."

He stopped suddenly; glad the walls were sound proof so the two in question would not hear the reason for his mission.

"I promised you before you died, you would learn to love and trust again. And I will fulfill that promise even if that love is not for me."

He turned away sadly, wishing for the heart he knew would never be his. He had showed her the world but that had not been good enough for her, had not been enough to capture the young Kitsune's heart. Even so, he knew she would always come to him when she needed help, needed advice, or just needed to be held when no one else was there to do so. It hurt but he was Immortal; he was a god and would not let her hurt him. As it were Sinamon and Kurama, Hiei and Yukina were Forbidden Children of the Makai though they did not know of it. Hiei and Yukina had been born from Koorime and Fire Youkai's relationships. Sinamon and Kurama were cross breeds of two Kitsune races. Now they were the most trusted of the Spirit Detectives, having changed from being like their Mothers.

Sinamon laid there for a while, breathing in the scent of the musty dungeon. She could hear Hiei shuffling in the corner as if trying to decide what to do. She finally pulled herself up and leaned against the wall in silence.

"Who are you?" Hiei asked quietly from across the room.

Sinamon sat there wiping the dirt from her face, "Why not use your Jagan and find out? You won't get it out of me easily, I won't believe or trust anyone."

Hiei shifted a little more saying "Hn" like he always did. Silence engulfed them, the air thick with tension.

"You're the one who kidnapped me." It was more a statement than a question.

It drew Sinamon from her thoughts, startling her up.

"Yeah, I am. Though I'm not sorry for it."

Hiei growled, flying across the room to her, he slammed her against the wall. As the little light in the room struck her face, he froze, studying her. Her eyes were ocean blue though when you looked closely you could see white mixed in it. Her skin was pale like freshly fallen snow on a cold winter's night as it seemingly drew in the light. Her hair was midnight black, silver wisps standing out if she turned her head in any given direction.

Sinamon also took the time to study him. His eyes gleamed ruby red, filled with sadness and anger. His skin was also pale though dirt made it darker. His hair was sulfur black with midnight blue tips, a starburst of white surrounding his bangs on three sides. Just above his eyes was a black warded bandanna that helped keep his Jagan, Evil Eye closed and concealed. The Jagan was a Third Eye that Youkai who had been captured and tortured by Youkai were given; it was a painful ritual to be put in and would kill the person if they tried to remove it. As she watched, his eyes softened as they met hers.

"You're stuck in here too?" He asked quietly, hardly above a whisper.

She nodded, feeling him draw away to the opposite side of the cell. The silence returned, allowing Sinamon time to try and think up an escape plan.

Kurama sat with the others being Genkai, Yusuke, and Kuwabara in her home. It was silent as they gave Kurama time to think of any place Sinamon could be at from her past life with him. Unfortunately none came to mind as he thought it through. KoEnma and Botan were in the Reikai looking for any leads though also coming up short.

"Where can she be?" Kuwabara asked, slamming his fist down on the floor in anger, though no one had an answer for him.

None though had given up complete hope that the two people missing were truly evil for they had known them too long; none except Kurama. He had given up on everything. He felt betrayed by both and he could not live with that thought. Earlier that day he had thought of what it would be like to put a dagger to his wrist and just kill himself. He knew from his past life the pain and feeling of hopelessness that overtook him as he bled from the wound the hunter had inflicted on him. Only after did he understand the gods had arranged it, had made him Ningen for a purpose. Yet that would never, could never describe how it felt to give up and kill yourself.

The pain would be more for it would be both physical and emotional as it would feel to have your heart pulled from your chest while it still beat. He glanced at the others and knew only one thing.

'_I have to stay strong for them. I can't give up, they aren't_.'

He sat up straight, thinking harder for a place Sinamon could have gone but only one person came to mind. Kikiyo Yashime.

Sinamon suddenly awoke, light filling the room as Inari shoved another into the room.

"Here is some company for you."

He shut the door just before the new occupant launched herself at the door. As she banged on the door furiously, the noise resounding throughout the room, Sinamon moved closer to Hiei though doing so without thought.

"Will you stop it!" Sinamon yelled though she continued more calmly once the noise stopped, "You can't get out. I helped build this place; it's impossible to do any damage inside of the cell."

The girl turned, glaring at Sinamon, "And who are you to build this kinda place? Didn't ya think it would be a trap?"

Sinamon growled, her fist clenching as she flung it over her knee, "Yeah, well, why are you in here? You obviously weren't too bright if you're in here."

The girl stepped forward, the light framing her face, "Mukuro sent me to find Hiei when she felt his energy from this place. Ya do know who Mukuro is, right?"

Mukuro was one of the rulers of the Makai that helped to keep the Makai under control. She was a cyborg that took her position seriously and ruled far better than the other two rulers that helped to keep the control. Or so she believed.

Hiei sat up now, staring at the girl, "Kikiyo, where is she?"

Sinamon let her fist loosen and stared closely at the girl, Kikiyo. She could not help but laugh as she looked closely.

"Let me guess, Kikiyo Yashime, right?"

Kikiyo glared down at her, scrutinizing whether to speak to her or not, "Yeah, what's it to ya?"

Sinamon stood up, "Sinamon. I happen to know the man who is madly in love with you. Yeah, I'm the little sister."

Kikiyo scoffed at the hand offered, "Him and every other guy. What's his name?"

Sinamon retracted her hand, glaring, "People call him Shuichi though you'd kn…."

"A Ningen? You have to be kidding. There's no way I would ever like a Ningen. Kitsune's have some morals, though I doubt you would know anything about that."

Sinamon closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, "Though you'd remember him as Kurama."

Kikiyo stared at her, surprised, "But he died." Her surprise quickly turned to anger, "If you're going to lie, you had better come up with something better than that."

Hiei shook his head, drawing himself up and drawing his sword. "It's the truth, now both of you shut up before I cut your voices out."

Both girls heeded his words, sitting on opposite sides of the room, never looking at each other for more than a few seconds to glare with such force that if looks could kill, either would be dead. Hiei also resumed his seat with a sigh; somehow he would have to survive the time without killing the two Kitsune's that were going to be stuck in here as well. Something told him it would have been easier had it only been him instead of all three. The girls were more than likely going to end up killing each other if allowed the time to do so. At the moment, however, time seemed to be the one thing they had.

KoEnma sat at his desk in his more attractive teenage Ningen body rather than remaining unseen as Botan hustled around the room searching for a stack of papers concerning Sinamon. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. It had been two days since he had had a proper nights sleep. The disappearance of Hiei had taken quite a toll on the team and he had wished to restore to calm tranquility of the small group, though knowing it could never be that way with Yukina gone.

"Ah-ha. KoEnma, I found it."

She scanned through the stack furiously to find something that could help them. Her eyes suddenly widened as she pulled forth a piece of paper.

"KoEnma, sir, this says… It says Sinamon or Kunanai and Hiei's souls are intertwined. They're connected as…"

KoEnma snatched the paper away, reading quickly before leaning back in defeat, "This is worse than I thought."

He closed his eyes for a moment remembering the first time Sinamon had been introduced to group, trying to remember if Hiei had ever met her. A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his memory.

Ayame smiled sweetly down to him, "KoEnma, sir, I think you should try to get some sleep. You look exhausted."

KoEnma allowed a smile to slip onto his face though he did not feel like smiling at the moment. He had not had the guts to tell Ayame how he felt about her. She helped him up, her hand remaining on his arm as she walked him to his room.

Outside the door, KoEnma grabbed her hand before she could leave, "Ayame, I just wanted to say, thank you. All the work you've done and I never have thanked you so.."

He stared her straight in the eyes, memorizing the deep blue like a sapphire jewel that never dulled but only seemed to grow in light. Before he realized what he was doing he leaned in, lightly placing his lips on her cheek. He pulled back slowly waiting for the pain to flow through his cheek but it never came. He opened his eyes to see Ayame staring at him, shocked.

"KoEnma, you really should get some sleep. You're acting strange."

KoEnma nodded, dropping her hand as he turned to enter his room.

Botan hurried to find Yusuke, finding him and Kuwabara on the roof of the school. She ran a hand through her hair quickly before landing near them.

"Hey, Yusuke, Kuwabara. I've got some news on Sinamon."

They looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, it seems the soul of Kunanai which now resides in Sinamon and Hiei's souls are intertwined."

Yusuke stared at her, "Which means?"

Kuwabara looked at him, letting his new intelligence show, "It means that they are supposed to be lovers of some sort." Turning to Botan, he continued, "Doesn't that mean that them being together like they are will help? I mean, if their souls are intertwined then they will probably fall in love while stuck in the same place."

Yusuke scoffed, "I hate you, Kuwabara."

Botan smiled slightly, "Guys, remember who we're talking about. Sinamon may be willing to learn to love though from what I gathered about her even that is questionable. Hiei, though would never fall in love especially after…"

She fell silent watching as the man she loved got a vacant look in his eyes. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder, startled when he jumped. He smiled shyly at her, scratching the back of his head. She nodded in understanding as she hopped onto her oar and flew into the air, waving good-bye as she entered a portal to the Reikai.

Yusuke continued to glare at the Human beside him. He truly hated the fact Kuwabara knew more than him; it had something to do with the death of Yukina and gathering knowledge so he could protect his friends. Even with that, it made Yusuke mad he had to slip up and let the Human get all the credit for the work Kuwabara had earned.

"Well, I guess we should go and find Kurama. He's sure to want to know what we found

out, right?" Yusuke asked, his glaring never faltering.

Kuwabara smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I just thought you knew what that meant. Aw, come on, Urameshi. You know, I'm only joking with you." As the silence stretched between them, he gulped, "Um, let's go…. Let's go and get Kurama."

Yusuke was the first to his feet, standing behind the taller man. At the prefect moment, he poked Kuwabara in the lower back with the tip of his finger. When the young Human turned to glare at him, he laughed. It had always been that way between them; now though that Yukina was gone, Kuwabara had refused to even play hit him. It touched the Mazaku but not enough that he would let the young man have a rest from their time together. They both needed to be ready for anything; perhaps it was just he loved seeing the Human act like he used to, loved to feel as if nothing had changed between them though it was obvious that things had. Things had changed between all of them.


	2. Chapter 2

-1Chapter Two

Sinamon let her mind wander to other things, wondering how her brother was feeling at that moment. It was not a good idea to let herself be sucked into the tar-like pit of depression that took hours to fight her wait out of. She sighed, letting her body slip into a trance-like state, her eyes staring into the gloom of the darkness. She jumped when she felt someone sit down next to her. They handed her a cloth, black as obsidian. As she reached out to grab it, she noticed how much she was shaking.

"Thanks… Hiei, I just got an idea. We both are able to use Jagans, though mine's suppressed. If we join our power together then it is a big possibility that we will be able to contact the others."

Hiei looked at her from the corner of his eye, "You do know the consequences of us joining our power together? There is also the possibility that we will be unable to separate."

Sinamon nodded, letting her head bow slightly, eyes shrouded behind her bangs, "I have to repay you and the others. I caused you to be stuck here and I betrayed the others when they needed me most. I need to tell my brother I'm sorry." She suddenly started laughing though it was hollow, "Stupid human emotions, I see why I needed the time to adjust to this life."

Hiei shook his head, "I won't do it. Not if there is the chance I'll be stuck with you for the rest of my life."

Sinamon nodded, leaning back against the wall as she thought more, trying to pull a plan together that Lord Inari would not suspect. However her mind drifted back to when she and Kurama were thieves of the Makai.

**Flashback**

Kunanai raced through the dense brush, the bare tree branches hardly slicing her arms as she hurried to catch up with her brother, Youko Kurama. He stood carefully hidden behind a thicket of rose bushes only known in this section of the Makai. They were white like ice but crystalline in the fact you could almost see through them. This gave them the name Crystal Roses. They were deadly killers if the thorns found their way into the skin. Luckily the only occupants in those parts of the Makai were the Koorime's and the Koorime Island that floated in the sky made of ice.

Kurama didn't even glance up as Kunanai crouched beside him.

"Are they aware of our approach?" He asked casting a sideways glance at her.

She shook her head, her eyes gleaming a dull blackish silver. He smiled cockily to himself before motioning her forward; it was her first time stealing from a high court. Even with that fact playing in her mind, she did not feel the least bit of fear. As it were, if she needed help, her brother would easily lend her some before disappearing. This was to be her training and when it was complete, they would steal together as their Mother had taught them.

"Ku? Are we sure the stone is here?"

The stone they searched for would allow them passage into the Reikai without being detected thus allowing them the opportunity to steal from the Celestial Realm. It had always been their plan to get into the Reikai but some of the obstacles they had to overcome made it impossible to do so.

"Yes, they have it. I've seen them using it while you scoped out the island."

With a sheepish smile, Kunanai moved to his side, placing her hand in his.

"Don't worry, I'll get it and then it's the Reikai for the rest of our lives."

Kurama nodded, trying not to let her down incase they did not get the stone. Somehow he knew he had to get Kunanai to the Reikai. She never deserved to live a life of pain and suffering when she deserved to have all the riches in the world. He knew how to get it for her and if it cost him his life, he was ready to give it for her happiness.

**End Flashback**

"Would you keep your mind in this reality?" Kikiyo said from across the room, her voice echoing through their dark, dank solitude.

Sinamon sighed, drawing Hiei's cape closer to her self involuntarily. Kurama had been the one to find the stone as it were. With that fact in mind, she had been angered with him for days until he brought her into the Reikai. She never doubted it was his plan all along; she doubted, however, that he had planned on finding out what they truly were and using it to their potential. He had always been there for her; the sudden wave of guilt made her shake her head to dissolve the thoughts.

She caught sight of Hiei watching her from the other wall. She shivered as a cold breeze entered the room. At once, Hiei and Sinamon were on their feet, searching for a possible escape.

KoEnma awoke to his door opening, a small voice calling, "KoEnma, sir? Are you awake?"

KoEnma rolled over groaning as he threw his arm over his eyes. In his head he saw Ayame's pretty face, smiling and laughing as she was with the other Ferry-girls.

"Botan, go away. I want to sleep."

"But KoEnma, Ayame says this is very important. Yomi is fighting with Raizan again and they are trying to drag Mukuro into it as well."

KoEnma groaned even louder, pulling himself up as he rubbed his eyes groggily. Botan flushed and turned away after catching a glimpse of KoEnma's leanly muscled chest. He tossed a white shirt on and quickly slid on his shoes. He left his pacifier on the dresser as he hurried past her, clearly forgetting the fact it had been agreed none but the Spirit Detectives were to see him in his Human form.

Once in his office, he clicked on the video screen and cleared his voice to get the two men's attention. They looked at him, both seething from anger. Raizan met KoEnma's gaze with piercing blackish silver orbs that glowed with his anger. It contrasted with the light tan of his skin and muscular build that was slowly deteriorating. His hair was long and white, falling nearly to the floor when he let it fall which was most of the time.

Yomi gaze was unfocused but black and angered. Since Yomi had had the nerve to try and kidnap Sinamon before she was reborn, it was only Kurama's right to blind him if it would get his sister back. His hair was also black, balding at the top, which proved to show his age. He, too, would soon be giving up his position as partial ruler of the Makai to a younger candidate. His skin was pale since he chose never to leave his castle in any situation. Even though he was dangerously over weight, he could still brandish any weapon without fear of being hurt. Now with the fact he was blind, his other senses took care of what he lacked from sight. Not a single thing could enter his castle without his knowing.

"Now what is the problem that I had to get up to solve?"

Yomi spoke first, speaking calmly though the anger was unhidden as he blindly glared at Raizan, "He is going to give his kingdom to a half-blood, a hanyou. I will not stand for it."

Yomi had the strange thought that the rulers should be full-bred Youkai or Ningen, not even the remote possibility of a Hanyou. Hanyou's were a mix between Ferry-girls or Youkai and Ningens; usually this was forbidden but some had broken up the law for love.

KoEnma growled, anger flowing through his veins at such an obnoxious pair, "Raizan, what is the relationship to this hanyou?"

Raizan spoke for the first time, "He is my son, born as a Mazaku."

KoEnma nodded, turning back to Yomi who acted as if he could see the young Prince before him, "It seems there is no need for this dispute. By law, Raizan's son, whether full Youkai or Hanyou, is next in line for the throne of his section of the Makai. Now I am going back to bed. Don't fight while I'm gone."

He turned away, clicking off the screen and returning to his room where he fell onto his bed fully clothed and having not closed the door. As his head landed on the cushioned pillow, he fell into a blissful sleep, dreaming of the women he wished to be his.

Yusuke and Kuwabara raced into Sarayashiki High School, searching for Kurama. They found him at his locker, extracting his bag as he made to go home to an empty house until Shiori came home and he would comfort her as the police searched for Sinamon though he knew she would not come back.

"Shuichi! We've got some info on Sin!" Yusuke yelled, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.

Kurama smiled slightly though his eyes remained emotionless. They caught up, smiling broadly before Yusuke began laughing.

Kuwabara glared at him before speaking to Kurama, "It seems Sinamon and Hiei's souls are intertwined, bound together. With luck, they'll fall in love with each other."

Kurama silenced him before he could continue, "Let's continue this when we get to Genkai's. I believe I have figured something out."

For the first time since Sinamon left, his eyes began to get emotion, life returning to renew the once beautiful emerald green orbs.

Kikiyo yelled from the corner, smiling for the first time, "It's over here guys!"

Hiei and Sinamon were by her side, inspecting the wall. The air came up from the lower wall though there was nothing missing. Sinamon finally reached out and touched it, her hand passing through. She ran it up as high as she could, being three blocks high and two blocks wide. She pulled her hand back and smiled, glancing at the other two.

Kikiyo wasted no time and transformed into a fox before dashing out. Hiei went next, crawling through at a rapid speed though surprisingly waiting for Sinamon on the other side. She crawled out, dusting off her pants as she stood up. Hiei stood, his arms crossed before turning to her.

"Give me my cape," he held out his hand to invasive his statement.

Yusuke raced up the temple steps with Kuwabara, waiting impatiently for Kurama at the top. When he got up there, Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at him, waiting for him to say what he thought.

"Well?" Kuwabara prompted when he remained silent.

"Oh yes. I believe someone else knows this fact, of their souls being bound together. I believe this person manipulated Sinamon to kidnap Hiei and wouldn't be surprised if they threw Sinamon in with him when she was caught. In fact, I believe they planed it that way." He went silent, his hand going to his chin as he thought over something before continuing, "In the Makai, there are legends of a couple, both Forbidden Children. They fall in love against all contradictions. Something happens though and they combine their powers together. In doing so, the tunnel between the Makai and the Ningenkai is closed, destroyed."

Yusuke nodded, his mind running over what he had just learned.

"So you're saying that you think Hiei and Sinamon are these two legendary people?" Kuwabara questioned curiously.

Kurama nodded, his eyes shining again as he looked at each of them, a smile passing between them. They turned and raced inside the house to find Genkai and tell her their news.

Sinamon handed him his cape while she looked around for Kikiyo Yashime, spotting her by the edge of a wooded area, her nose to the air as she sniffed out a creature approaching. Sinamon looked her over critically. She had chestnut brown hair to her waist with matching fox ears and tail. Her eyes were lavender mixed with golden wisps. Her skin was slightly tan and unblemished except for a scar on her left shoulder. She wore tight blue pants and a black tank top with a pink collar and trim.

The ground beneath them began to quake as three giants came through the brush, each brandishing a mallet. They looked like each other with their matted hair, dark, dirty skin, and clothes around their waist falling to just above the knees. Only on closer inspection could they see two had brown hair; one light brown on the right, the other near black on the left. The one in the middle had charcoal black hair and a nasty cut that oozed puss periodically.

Kikiyo Yashime and Sinamon backed up, standing next to Hiei as he unsheathed his sword. Kikiyo Yashime took a bow from her back, placing her left hand on the wood, her right lightly holding the string in between her index, middle and thumb. Sinamon could see her spirit energy crystallize into a deadly arrow, the tip filled with black poison.

"Ready yourself to fight," she whispered urgently to Sinamon, the wind carrying it further to Hiei.

Sinamon created a fiery bomb, the core silver like ice while black flames coiled around the outside trying to break into the inner being. The giants grunted at each other before raising their mallets over their heads.

KoEnma sat, patiently listening to the three Spirit Detectives as they talked animatedly, each contributing to the plan on how to find Hiei and Sinamon. He had to agree with Kurama, when he read about their souls being bound together, he thought of the same legend. He smiled wistfully; glad Kurama had more emotion in his eyes, even acting more like his old self. He slipped out quietly, finding it odd after so many weeks that he wanted silence.

He found himself in the garden that spanned a mile from the castle, all the plants known to the Makai growing in their season. He sat down heavily on a bench beside a stream that watered the garden. A voice broke the silence of the garden, drawing his attention from the rose bushes.

"Hello, KoEnma, sir. I didn't know you were out here since the Spirit Detectives were in your office," Ayame said shyly.

KoEnma nodded, "I just needed to get away from the noise they were making."

Ayame shifted slightly before bowing at the waist, "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'll go now."

"It's alright, Ayame. You can stay. Your company is appreciated here," he watched as she turned silently, meeting his eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir, I just remembered I need to file a report on today's soul guiding," she quickly retreated the way she had come, disappearing through the doorway.

KoEnma sighed whispering, "How can I tell you I love you?"

He knew he should not push her to stay but sometimes he just wanted to grab her and force her to listen, to stay. Though, in doing so, he knew he would never be happy with the thought she would have chosen someone else, chosen someone that would and could capture her heart. It was the only thing he hoped would be his in time; the time it took, however, was the hard part in lasting through. Sometimes he wanted her so bad he would be unable to function until he saw her. He forced himself to turn from the door way completely and go back to his office where he would not have time to wallow in his self-pity.

"Guys, how will we find them? I mean, the Makai is huge, not to mention this planet Jantu you told us about," Yusuke asked worried about his friend.

"Urameshi, we're the Spirit Detectives, we can do anything. Plus we can't let Hiei and Sinamon down. They need us more than ever now," Kuwabara looked to Kurama who nodded at them.

"I think we should start searching here," Kurama pointed to a small clearing in the middle of woods. "This is where an old holding facility is. It used to hold rogue Youkai who were being transported to the Reikai."

They nodded, Yusuke punching his hand saying, "Any threats?"

Kurama nodded, "These woods are filled with creatures but the one we need to look out for is the Gonku. These are Giants that are very deadly; it normally takes twenty for just one. So be careful."

Yusuke jumped up after a moment's hesitation, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Kuwabara got up after the others though stopped by the door, "Botan. Thanks for being there. With Yukina gone, I never thought someone would come as close as she did." He turned to Botan, flashing her a smile, "I want to talk to you when I get back."

Botan nodded, her normal cheerful smile spreading over her face as she watched Kuwabara turn and run to catch up with the others. Once she was sure he was gone, the smile faltered, her eyebrows coming together in a frown as she tried to understand his meaning. If he had figured out that she was in love with him, then perhaps they would be married by the end of the year. Yet what if he only wished to thank her for helping get through his crisis with Yukina? She couldn't think of that just yet; she had souls that needed to be brought to the Reikai so KoEnma could send them where they needed to go.

The Gonku stumbled at their opponents, waving their mallets dangerously through the air.

"Don't get hit!" Kikiyo Yashime yelled to the others before shooting more Crystal Arrows at the Giant before her.

Sinamon dodged the mallets blow by a few feet, giving her time to throw the bomb at it. It struck the Giant in the face, blinding it as its flesh seemingly melted. It swung its mallet around blindly, trying to hit its target.

Hiei was having better luck because of his god-like speed; he had no trouble slicing at the Giant while easily avoiding the blows from the mallet. He also kept watch on the other two Gonkus, never letting his guard down. The Giant Kikiyo Yashime was battling took one last swing though this time purposefully missing her.

"Sinamon! Look out!"

Sinamon turned just as the mallet struck her side. The sickening crack of broken ribs resounded through the clearing followed by a huge boom as two Gonkus fell dead. The last blind one was quickly killed by Kikiyo Yashime while Hiei quickly went to Sinamon. Her breaths were coming in gasps, blood oozing from where a rib had punctured through the skin. He pressed his hand over the wound, instantly regretting it as Sinamon cried out in pain, her voice carrying through the air.

A portal opened before them, Kikiyo Yashime looking at Hiei perplexed. He nodded to her, watching as she slipped through the black abyss of the portal. She returned a moment later, a small smile on her face.

"It's the Reikai," she knelt down pressing both hands to the ground as she concentrated, "I'll make a crystal stretcher for us to carry her on."

Hiei nodded, feeling his heart begin to beat faster as Sinamon's breathing began to grow shallower, her eyes dulling slowly. He could not explain why he suddenly felt as if in losing her, he would lose a part of him. For some reason, his mind told him he needed her; he never doubted his mind before but found himself wondering as to why the sudden feelings had been born.

It took only a few minutes to get Sinamon onto the stretcher and moved to the portal. Even so, it was a painful time, Hiei worried deeply that the movements would only serve to hurt Sinamon further but knowing that it was needed in order to save her. It would be only moments before more Youkai came to inspect the smell of new blood and hope for a meal that could satisfy the hunger that had spread across the Makai.

Kuwabara skidded to a stop beside the others as they came upon a portal in the garden. A moment later, KoEnma came running up, a Kitsune man behind him.

Kurama bowed slightly to the man, "Lord Inari."

The god, Inari nodded, worry evident in his eyes for the first time that Kurama had seen. Lord Inari stood over the others, his head reaching to the height of seven feet. His white fox ears were perked to sounds they could only dream of hearing while his white fox tail remained still. His skin was a ghostly pale though he seemed to never change. His golden eyes were sharp and perceptive like those of an eagle. Even now though his eyes were narrowed in fear and worry, something none of them had ever seen a god hold in his eyes as they remained fixed on the portal.

"Kurama, you must be prepared to heal. Sinamon has three broken ribs, one punctured the skin, another the left lung. There is internal bleeding. Her life and ours depend on it," Lord Inari spoke, his eyes concentrating in the portal. "Here they come."

Kikiyo came out first, Sinamon lying in pain on the crystal bed, Hiei behind them. Kurama rushed to her side and reached to grab her hand. He froze as he looked at her eyes. The sapphire orbs were now blank and dull, staring at the air above her as if nothing was wrong, nothing could break her concentration

"Lord Inari, what is…?" Kurama whispered.

Lord Inari laid his hand on Kurama's shoulder, "Do not worry, my son. She is only in a trance while her body waits for healing. We must hurry. To long in this stage and I fear she shall never wake."

Hiei and Kikiyo hurried to the upstairs room; Lord Inari chanting healing spells under his breath, the golden sacred energy dancing over Sinamon midsection. They set her down on the bed, the crystal seemingly dissolving before their eyes. Kurama cut Sinamon's shirt, exposing the already bruising skin, the white fragment of the rib plain to see amid the bloody blacks and browns.

Kurama gently tried to maneuver the ribs back into place, the cracking of bone hitting sent shivers down his spine. Lord Inari applied the salve over the wound and allowed his energy to mingle only slightly with hers to begin the healing process. Hiei handed them a thick roll of bandages as he watched the quick work of the healers.

Botan sat nervously waiting for Kuwabara in the lounge off KoEnma's office. She studied it to calm the encroaching giddiness that accompanied the nervousness. The room was filled with elegant furniture and paintings, long since lost to the Ningenkai.

The couch was made of the most rare of Dragon's scales; feeling like silk under her fingers. It changed colors with the light, at that moment looking like rubies gleaming with inner fire. It brought with it confusion; she had never really figured which she loved; Hiei or Kuwabara.

Hiei was cold-hearted though once you captured his heart it was so full of love that he seemed to change. He could penetrate your very soul with just a glance, leaving you to feel cold and naked, begging for the warmth to return. Yet with Kuwabara, he was willing to love you openly without regrets, relying on himself and his friends to protect the ones he cared for. He would leave you bathing in his love like the hot springs of holiness used for the purifying of the soul.

Her concentration was broken by the door opening. Kikyana peeked her head in and smiled at Botan.

"Hello 'Tan," noticing the tears in Botan's eyes, she rushed over, "Oh, what's wrong?"

Botan let the tears fall, telling Kikyana everything as she listened closely.

Ayame gripped papyrus in her hand as she hurried to find KoEnma. His father, King Yama was to be home the next day and he expected everything to be in order. That included having all the Spirit Detectives returned and unharmed. She could only hope that would be true; it was rumored that whoever had stolen Hiei was pure evil and craved nothing but to carve up the innocents. She shivered at that thought; even though Hiei seemed somewhat reluctant to join the team, he had always been nice to her and she had to admit she liked him. In truth, though she would never let him know this, she felt sorry for him; he had lost his only family and refused to talk with anyone on what truly had happened.

She slowed down to catch her breath, being drawn to a room where there were raised voices. One was undoubtedly KoEnma while the other she did not know.

"You will not put her in prison once she has healed! It was not her fault! She also helped your Spirit Detective escape!" The other yelled loudly, his voice resounding through the door.

"I have a kingdom to uphold! She committed a crime in kidnapping him in the first place!" KoEnma yelled back though quieter than the other.

Ayame pushed the door open slightly though freezing when her eyes landed on the Prince. His hair was in his eyes, making her wish to push it away. The color was a chestnut brown, shining when the light struck it. His eyes were golden like a Youkai, making her wonder of his mother. His skin was lightly tanned, miraculously since he spent most of his time in his office stamping important documents. On his forehead was 'Jr.' tattooed to show his heritage as the Prince of the Reikai.

She blushed furiously before trying to calm herself to give the news to KoEnma.

"KoEnma, sir. Your father has sent word that he returns tomorrow and he wished all things to be in order." She bowed her head to keep from blushing again, "He also wants the Spirit Detective found."

KoEnma nodded, his eyes mere slits of anger, "He is found and returned. You're excused."

She flinched at the briskness of his words but left without being acknowledged by the angered Prince. She knew he was not like the others; he cared for his kingdom and the others that he did not control. She had even begun to think that perhaps he was beginning to see her in a new light but he had only ignored her when she would see him often. It could have been he was absorbed in his work but he continued to try and tell her something that he found truly difficult to say. The only thing that she thought would do that to him was if he was trying to fire someone. There was no way she would allow herself to be fired, even if she had a place to turn if that did happen, she just couldn't.

She knew why but she did not want to admit what was the ongoing conflict between her heart and mind. He showed he truly cared about his workers but it never went past work; she wanted to be the one to take him to bed when he has been working too hard, to comfort him when he loses someone he cares for like with Yukina. She wanted to be there for him for everything, be the one he came to when he needed help, when he needed to be held. More so she wanted his heart and soul, she wanted to be the only thing on his mind, the only woman who made his heart jump. She wanted to know he loved her.

She froze, her hand covering her heart as she stared at herself in the window, '_Is that what I want?_'

She knew it was true but she had just admitted it to herself, now she didn't know how to act around him. With a sigh, she gripped the papyrus tighter and turned to her rooms. She needed time to think over what she was going to do without the fear of being seen, at least by KoEnma.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: This is rate M.

Sexual Content

Chapter Three

Sinamon drifted in her mind, feeling the dull ebb of pain in the furthest reaches of the darkness. A voice called to her, one resounding from her memory as she drifted towards it.

She found herself in a lounge, a poker table in the middle. A substantially large crowd was surrounding it, wanting to watch the on-crouching match unfold between the undefeatable Masuri and the young demon girl, Mahanri. Sinamon moved to the front, watching Masuri lay down his cards to reveal Four of a Kind.

"You do remember, child. The bet is your life," Masuri's deep voice quietly filled the expanse.

Mahanri laid down her cards whispering, "And yours."

She lifted her hand to reveal a Royal Flush. Masuri gaped at the cards, his eyes widening in fear. Sinamon took the last moment to study him. His hair was a deep blood red, conflicting with the black abyss of his eyes. His skin was a nasty shade of yellow from a terrible tan.

In an instant, Mahanri jumped on the table and drew her stiletto; a small knife, one of many. In one clean swipe, she severed his head from his body, the eyes blinking once before closing in death.

Hiei watched her, knowing as she struggled in her sleep that she was plaqued with dreams. Once the struggle ebbed away and Sinamon lay still did he allow himself to return to the sharpening of his blade, katana. It was sharper than usual as it were but he needed it to keep from worrying over the Ningen on the bed before him. No one had conquered his willpower and she would not be the first. He had raised himself after both he had been abandoned. Yukina had been accepted into a quant home but he had learned to expect life as it was given to him, living on only what the Makai had to offer him. The fever had set in almost instantly after Lord Inari had healed the skin. He continued to absentmindedly sharpen the cool steel that had saved his life countless times.

Sinamon slowly opened her eyes, the orbs focused far off in the distant ceiling above. She mouthed words, her hand reaching up to find what she sought though it would never be found. He walked over and pushed her hand back under the covers, the cool evening air of the Reikai filling the air with the poignant incense of the royal garden below.

She turned her head to him, her eyes slowly focusing on Hiei, "Hi-ei. Thanks."

Her eyes closed as unconsciousness took hold of her once again, the pain a dull throb on the horizon. He shook his head, returning to his position by the window. She somehow knew that he had been the one to help her through the portal even when she was overcome with pain. It just served to show how powerful the girl actually was. She had proved to think things over thoroughly before deciding to act, before trying to get him to combine his power with her. It had been truly tempting to do so but he would never be joined to someone that had put him in such a position in the first part.

'_Yet you'll sit here and watch over her like a love-sick Ningen,' _his mind spat at him.

He resumed ignoring it as was his custom; it had gotten him into more problems than he could remember. It was only his Jagan side that seemed able to save him. The thought of acting like a lovesick Ningen not only disgusted him but also angered him at the mere thought. He was stronger than that and did not care if the Ningen girl died or lived.

'_Yet you still sit here,'_ it reminded him before going silent once more.

He sighed as he sheathed his sword; he was only tired from fighting the Gonku, which was why he did not move from his spot. He did not care for the girl and never would. She had been the one to lock him away, to betray her brother and do as some idiot commanded. That idiot was going to pay too; he picked up the cloth that had come from Sinamon's shirt and lightly rubbed his hand over it while adverting his eyes out the window to watch the sun cast it's last light over the thriving life that grew below him.

Lord Inari sat silently in his place from high above in the Telestial World, the Moon. He watched over Sinamon, smiling to himself as a shadow from the corner came closer.

"So this is my new partner? This Sinamon character?" Mahanri asked as she scrutinized the girl before her.

Lord Inari nodded, turning his gaze to the girl beside his desk. She was a lower B in power though could do anything with a knife; she had yet to reach her potential. Her hair was messy but fell to her shoulders; it was green in color. Her eyes were purple and shined like she knew a joke no one else knew. Her skin was lightly tanned and unblemished; she always having the upper hand when she fought. On her cheeks just below her eyes were two marks symbolizing her loyalty to him.

"Yes, Sinamon Isis is her name, my dear, though she has taken on the last name Minamino." He turned his gaze to the angelic form that always sought refuge in his dreams, "Now go. She will know you are coming." He lowered his voice to a whisper as Mahanri left, "Mahanri Tristan Larnaa."

He quickly turned the video screen off so he could return to dealing with rogue Kitsune's, those disloyal to the Code of Thieves. He knew Mahanri and Sinamon would get along fine but did not know how willing they would be to start their work together. They were both loyal to him but put themselves before even their duties. It had always been that way with Sinamon before and would remain so even after her rebirth. Han however seemed to have changed 100 years ago when she had begun to work harder and more thoroughly for him. It had crossed his mind to find out about it but she locked everything inside and revealed nothing, not even to those she considered her close friends.

Kikyana sat quietly on the edge of her bed, the velvet smooth as she allowed herself to think of her upcoming marriage to Yusuke. Her mind drifted to her love, allowing her mind to bring his face into view. She loved it when his hair was left alone, the gel forgotten. His hair was black like the complete and lonely darkness of sleep. His eyes chocolate brown and sparkling with life. His skin was tan and muscled from the severe training he had endured to become the man he was, battling those who he was commanded to.

"Yu?" she whispered quietly as she turned her gaze to the picture on her nightstand, "Never forget…me."

She let the tears spill over the barrier as they fell silently down her cheeks. She always felt her heart break a little further when Yusuke was sent away on another mission for the Reikai, always risking his life. She wished she could say that it healed when he returned, battered but alive. It never healed nor did she believe it would; she had overcome that dream a long time ago. Yet her heart yearned for him to always be safe, always be hers but that was a fantasy she would have to overcome. Her mind was confused with whether she should marry the young man she had known since first grade or not.

They had each had different lives up until they had been reunited in the Makai. She had been living there while working for Yomi. As if they had not been separate for nearly ten years, Yusuke had begun teasing her like they were best friends. It wasn't until he proposed that she realized how much she truly cared for him. Now she was unsure; she knew she loved him but she didn't know if she could stand to see him leave and return half-dead to her. He might not have realized it but she was moving away, she was drawing into herself as if she could escape the pain that gripped her heart.

She knew she had to make a decision before the week was through but if she chose wrong then she would never be happy, would never know love.

'_And you'll be alone,'_ her mind reminded her.

It was true; even though Yusuke knew nothing of her past ten years, she had fallen in love with a young Youkai who promised her the world and loved her deeply. She had loved him as well but it had ended too quickly for her to have forgotten. He had died in her arms, still proclaiming his undying love and making her promise she would find some one that made her happy, that she would be happy. She thought she had been but he seemed only to remind her of true happiness. She could still remember everything about him.

He used to smile as if he were the happiest man alive, his two white fangs pressing over his naturally blood red lips; they seemed colored that way from all of his battles. His hair was long and silky, falling down his back even when he pulled it into a high ponytail. His skin was a creamy tan and muscled for the battles that he could never escape. He always wore a ragged black cloak that was caked with dirt and blood; it was an heirloom that his Father had given him. He never wore a shirt even in the harshest of winters but wore long baggy pants that covered his boots. Most of the time they were tattered from being worn so often. His eyes had always captured her soul; they were a sky blue and danced with magic.

It had always been him that made her smile, that was able to keep them from worrying over life and the battles he had to fight. With Yusuke, it still felt as if something was missing, something important, something that only she and Talkien could only have. The tears from before had given way to new tears for her lost love. Even now he was the only one she truly wanted but she had a promise to keep. Wiping her eyes, she stared at the bare walls before her, trying desperately not to cry once more.

.

Kurama sat quietly, his eyes shifting to Kikiyo as she sat quietly also. Yusuke sat, his eyes concentrating as he thought over the predicament the three had been made to endure. Kurama wished he could hold her as he used to, but knew a Kitsune like herself would never go for a Ningen such as he was now. His mind puzzled over how he could get just one night, one more night so he could let her know how he felt about her. He had hoped to give her that love a long time ago but fate had been cruel and separated them by more than life.

"So… I'm going to go find Kikyana," Yusuke stated as he left the room behind him quickly, giving them time to be alone.

Kurama shifted on the seat, feeling it uncomfortable suddenly. Kikiyo seemed to be studying him closely as he tried not to notice the sudden attention drawn his way.

"You're supposed to be the reincarnation of Kurama. You look like a girl," she blushed suddenly and muttered, "Sorry."

He chuckled, drawing two seeds from his hair, "I'll be with you in a moment."

He swallowed the seeds, a mist enveloping his body almost instantly. A light breeze blew it away to reveal the Kurama Kikiyo knew. His hair was silver and fell to his waist. On top of his head were two silver fox ears while his silver fox tail swayed slightly by its own accord. His eyes were a piercing gold, shining brightly at her. His skin was pale and unblemished for his plants healed his wounds before scars could appear.

She stumbled back, gasping, "What..? This must be a trick, a spell. You can't be real, can you?"

He reached out and gently caressed her cheek, a knife being driven into his heart as she pulled away.

"Why are you torturing me? You died! I saw you, I held you before they buried you!"

Kurama pulled her to him, ignoring as she half-heartedly punched his chest. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it so their eyes met.

"Just one last night. I just want one last night." He leaned in, his breath tickling her lips as he whispered, "Remember, love, I will always love you."

He gently kissed her letting his arms ensnare her around her waist, pressing her body to his completely so no air, let alone space could exist.

She hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders, finding it hard to believe he was real, that he was here alive. His mouth was hot on hers, his hands solid as they rubbed light circles over her body. She stared at him, gold meeting gold. It took her but one second before she responded, her arms sliding over his shoulders as she kissed him fiercely. The kiss broke suddenly, Kurama trailing kisses down her neck, lightly sucking on the sensitive skin just below the jawline.

"Kurama? Where are we going to…" she trailed off in a moan of pleasure.

He ran his tongue along the shell of her ear, whispering, "Anywhere. Hell, here."

She nodded, pulling the robe from his shoulders only to have it hang from his waist instead of puddling at his feet. She felt his muscles ripple as he shivered. His eyes closed as Kikiyo ran the edge of her nails across the pale skin lightly circling his nipples, her back arching at his moan.

With a fierce growl, he threw her onto the couch, his knees resting on either side of her body. He untied the cloth that held her pants up, trying to remove her clothes as quickly as possible. Her hands fumbled as well, trying to undo his robe. He finally gave up in frustration, pulling a leaf-shaped knife out and shredded her clothes to nothing, slowly revealing the pale skin that drove him mad. His mouth once again crashed down on the skin, his tongue playing over her. Her fingers grabbed hold of his head, the silver hair pooling across her chest. His hot scalding mouth took possession of her breast, his teeth painfully teasing her.

"Damn, Ku-rama. Please," she whispered painfully.

"Do you want me to take you here?" he whispered huskily, his lips playing over hers.

She growled, glaring at Kurama through half-lidded eyes. She suddenly moaned, arching her hips against him as he lightly bit down on her collarbone. He gasped, collapsing onto her unused to feeling such sheer pleasure.

"Please, love. I need you."

He nodded, positioning himself above her, her legs wrapping around his waist to bring him closer. He sealed her mouth with his, covering the hitch in her breathe as he entered her. He groaned, feeling the hot tight walls around him causing adequate pressure. She threw her head back as pleasure fueled her inner fire.

Kurama pulled almost completely out of her only to thrust back into her, Kikiyo meeting his thrust with one of her own. She gasped; Kurama's breathe tickling her neck. He moved faster, feeling his climax just ahead. Her pants informed him of her own rise to the sheer peak of pleasure.

With a muted scream, they both came crashing into the blissful world of pleasure and relaxation. Kurama collapsed on top of her, cuddling her to him as she succumbed to sleep. The exhaustion of their lovemaking taking control of her.

Kuwabara opened the door to the lounge, hoping Botan would still be there. He found her asleep, her arm under her head as a pillow. He smiled, keeping himself from laughing as he noticed a small line of saliva traveling down her cheek.

"Botan? Are you awake?" He lightly nudged her, his hand remaining on her shoulder.

She slowly sat up, wiping her face while hoping he did not notice the fact she had been crying.

Unfortunately, he did for he asked, "Botan, are you alright?"

Botan nodded quickly, plastering a smile on her face as she met his eyes.

He nodded though continued to eye her concerned but began to speak, "You know, when Yukina died, I figured it was the end. I had no reason to go on or anything. Then when I saw you guys so worried for me, I knew that if anything I had to get smarter and stronger." He turned to Botan and continued, "Botan, I don't care how you feel…Well, I do but you see, Botan, I know I'm falling in love with you. Yukina told me that if anything happened to her to just be happy." He turned away though Botan still saw the blush coloring his cheeks, "I want you to think about it. Don't answer now, just think."

He quickly snagged her hand and kissed it, his eyes on hers. He slowly let it drop and turned in a hurry, leaving Botan to think over her feelings.

.

Yusuke heard Kikyana's soft sobs through the door to her bedroom. He opened it quietly to find her sprawled on her bed, her head buried in the pillows.

"Kikyana, why are you crying?"

She jumped, surprised Yusuke was there since she never heard him open the door. She turned away quickly, knowing Yusuke was letting his eyes wander over her.

She had shoulder length black hair, red tips and streaks with matching wolf ears and tail. Her skin was pale and made her dark eyeliner stand out around her red eyes. She wore a black leather belly shirt and a short black leather skirt. On her back was a pair of red and black dragon wings though they were folded in as she hastily wiped her face, her make-up miraculously not smearing.

"It's nothing, Yusuke. Don't worry, just thinking."

He laid down in front of her and smiled teasingly, "Well, if it made you cry it must be something. Of course if you say so." He flipped over, putting his head in her lap, "You know I love you, right?"

Kikyana nodded, keeping her eyes closed as she knew he was playing with her.

"Good." He sat up and kissed her, his hands running down her back. As he broke it, "Now seriously tell me what's wrong."

Kikyana looked down, getting annoyed at Yusuke's persistence, "It's nothing. I told you, just drop it."

He shook his head, "No, tell me."

She stood up, her anger growing with each moment. She stormed towards the door but Yusuke grabbed her and pushed her to the wall.

"Tell me what the hell is wrong!"

Kikyana glared at him, "What? Would you like to hear me tell you that I hate it when you fight? And that I wish that if you'd die, you'd not come back so I could move on!"

He stared opened-mouthed at her before whispering, "So you hate me?" It suddenly sunk in what she said, he stepped back, "Fine. Then the weddings off."

She stood shocked, not even noticing Yusuke leave the room until the emptiness of the room practically screamed at her.

She fell to her knees, not noticing the pain as she buried her face in her hands, "What have I done?"

She knew what she had done. She had let her uncertainties get the better of her and now she was paying. She knew she loved Yusuke but no one could replace him. The man she truly loved with her whole heart. Even when he had gone off and fought, she had had a special connection with him and knew when he was hurt and in trouble. She had lost him though; he had been stolen from her when she had least expected it. Talkien had always showed her his love, had saved her when she had thought no one cared. It was he that showed her what love was. He had taken her in, taught her of the power she held inside and wanted her to stay with him forever.

She had loved him since the day they had met and knew that even though she loved Yusuke it was nothing compared to what she and Talkien had shared. Nothing could ever be like the love two shared when they were meant to be together. She still remembered how he looked.

He took her breath away with a simple glance of his sky blue eyes that could stare into to her eyes and know what was truly on her mind, how she truly felt though she refused to voice them. His skin was a soft dark tan that looked rock hard with muscles. Even so, the scars that marred his skin only helped to make him more appealing. His hair was a dark red, almost burgundy; tinted like that as he said by the blood of those he had killed to save the ones he loved the most. He had always carried his broad sword around with him no matter where they went. It gave her a sense of protection and excitement all the same.

She missed the days they had spent together since they had ended so short. He had made her promise when she found him near death to find happiness and if only for him, she would marry Yusuke. Now it seemed even that was impossible when she had chased Yusuke away with her fears. If he found out why she was truly marrying him, it would be the end of everything she had worked for. In truth, the only happiness she could ever have was if he was dead. He was the reason Talkien was dead. It was his fault that she was alone and hated the world for stealing her love from her. If Yusuke had just allowed himself to be captured, Talkien would be with her now.

Yusuke had let him stand-alone and fight to the death. Even now she could remember what Talkien said to her as he died.

"It wasn't Yusuke's fault…He only wants to get home…I'm sorry, love…I should have told you sooner…about what I was doing. I just wanted…you to love me forever."

She had cried deeply when he had said that. It was as if he doubted her love and thought it would die with him. Sadly it had stayed strong, growing even over the years after his death only to hurt her further. Yusuke might have been able to understand but he wouldn't sacrifice himself to give her happiness and it would be betrayal to confess of her thoughts. She was supposed to be happy with him and if she had to force herself, she would pretend to be happy if only to get close enough to kill him. '_Just a little longer and I'll be ready to join you, my love_,' she thought to herself with a smile.

No one would be able to keep her from finding happiness, not even the King of the Reikai. Wherever Talkien was, he was waiting for her and she knew it. Wiping the tear streams from her cheeks, she stood. If nothing else, she would make sure he married Yusuke. Their honeymoon would be his last night in the Ningenkai, or as a Ningen. Then she could be happy and with Talkien.

Sinamon's fever had finally disappeared as though it had never been there before. Mahanri was just about to talk to Hiei when she heard Sinamon call his name in her sleep.

"Yo, lover boy, the comatose girl's calling you."

Hiei looked up at her and scrutinized her, "You are?"

Mahanri shrugged, taking his place by the window. Hiei placed his hand over Sinamon's forehead, allowing his Jagan to see into her mind. A shock ran up his arm as her Jagan counteracted his own. She slowly opened her eyes, meeting his ruby ones. She jumped up, coming within inches of his face.

Mahanri watched intently, knowing Lord Inari believed these two were the prophesized ones. She knew the first time they joined physically, the Makai and Ningenkai would forever be separated, making the jobs of the Spirit Detectives easier. Even without their joining, if they grew to love each other, the Makai and Ningenkai would be somewhat separated. Unfortunately Sinamon pulled back, her eyes emotionless from many years of practice, revealing none of her feelings.

"Good of you to join the world of the living, Sinamon." Mahanri said, walking to her side, "I'm Mahanri, call me Han though."

Sinamon nodded to her, "Right, you must be my new partner. Inari told me about you."

Mahanri chuckled, then moved towards the door, "We'll talk later, Sin. I'll be sure of that."

Kurama laid Kikiyo down on the bed beside him, knowing he could leave her and have her believe it a dream. It had been better then when they had first made love, of course both grew in experience over the years they had been separated. He smoothed the hair from her face sadly knowing he would not be able to win her love in his Ningen body; its frailty being beyond that of even the weakest Youkai.

Kikiyo snuggled into his hand, her lips unconsciously kissing his palm.

"Good-bye, my love."

He stood from her, his thoughts of her being shoved to the furthest recesses of his mind. He left hoping she would remember that night as more than a dream but a true memory of love. Beyond all hope, he wished for her love to prove true, wished she would be there through life and death though knowing that was too much to ask of her openly. They had different lives now; they were of different races now. She had always had a severe dislike of Ningens her whole life and nothing could change that. He could only hope she would forever love Kurama, with that he could live somewhat without the heartache that was troubling him at the moment. How was he to do anything else if he was unable to remove her from his mind? Somehow he knew he couldn't. As he took a seat at his desk he pulled out a thick booklet. Staring down at it, he knew what he had to do. Picking up the pen, he wrote:

A Life of Love; The Story of Kurama and Kikiyo.

KoEnma watched Ayame avoid him for the twentieth time since their brief meeting when she relayed the message from his father. He wanted to apologize, but she allowed him no time to do so. He slumped into his chair, trying to think of what to do with his problem. An idea struck him, Mukuro.

He used the video screen to contact her and smiled at the sight of her half cyborg body; it was one of her powers to nearly seduce men with a mere glance. Her hair was red like the sunset though half of her face was covered behind a cream colored clothe, a red robotic eye gleaming at him. Her skin was tan though scars crisscrossed from the experiments done on her by the Ningen professor that had found out her secret before she had escaped to the Makai. Her other Ningen eye was brown like fresh mud and watched him closely.

"KoEnma, what can I do for you?"

KoEnma shuffled slightly, "Well, I have a problem with a woman I work with."

Mukuro nodded, her gaze softening as she turned her complete attention to him, "Go ahead."

"Well, I love her, but she's avoiding me."

Mukuro leaned back casually, "Have you told her about these feelings?"

He blushed though shook his head, "No, she avoids me so I can't tell her."

She groaned as she rolled her eyes, "KoEnma, you're a demi-God, her boss. Just call her into your office and tell her…" She stared at him suddenly, "Why is she avoiding you?"

KoEnma sighed, frustrated with himself, "Thanks Mukuro. I'll call if I need anymore help."

He shut off the screen and leaned back, a new resolve that he would tell Ayame his feelings. After all, if the war went the wrong way, he could end up losing her and he needed her to know of his true feelings. He wanted her to know that he constantly stared at her, captivated by her mere presence. She probably wouldn't understand but he would try, he had to. He wanted her to be happy but he needed to prove to himself that the only place she would happy was in his arms.

Kikiyo awoke and rolled over to snuggle to Kurama. She sat up unhappily when she only found an empty space. Glancing around, she found his clothes were gone but his scent lingered on the air. His distinct Ningen scent mixed with it. She drew herself from the bed and tied her red bathrobe closed. She crept from her room knowing it was now near midnight.

It was easy to detect Kurama's room for his energy signature left a path. She opened the door, not surprised to find him still awake.

"Kurama."

He looked up startled and cautiously smiled, "Kikiyo."

She closed the door behind her, undoing the front of her bathrobe, "You left me alone. Now, apologize."

Kurama blushed, adverting his eyes from her body, "If you hadn't noticed, I'm Ningen. You swore on your life you would never love the thing that killed your family."

Kikiyo walked towards him, crawling into his lap, "I guess love breaks all promises. Besides how could I give up the greatest Forbidden One?"

He shook his head, "I'm only Kurama. The only Forbidden One that made anything of herself is Kunanai. She was the best."

Kikiyo kissed him, her tongue interacting with his, "Yes, but you are my interest."

He chuckled, pulling her below the covers to continue what they had been doing earlier. What he hoped they would be doing until they were dead.

As night settled over the palace, the occupants fell to sleep, some lonely, some content with company. Sinamon remained awake. She stood on the balcony from her room, the cool spring air teasing her hair as it flowed around her. She still felt she had to repay all those she betrayed though they knew nothing of that fact. She growled to herself, cursing the Ningen body she now occupied. Her anger flared as she remembered the urge she fought when she came within inches of Hiei's face. The urge to kiss him had grown with in seconds of her waking. Somehow it still was able to remain even after he had left her presence hours before. She could almost feel him near, smell the sulfur that was his natural scent.

She slammed her fist into the concrete, ignoring the pain that shot up her arm as blood splattered the gray stone. A presence suddenly appeared beside her, his body leaning back easily on the railing.

"Why are you disturbing my sleep?"

Sinamon pointedly ignored Hiei as she stared at the moon, occupying herself with trying to find Lord Inari's palace.

"Hn."

She waited for him to leave, hoping that her reply would satisfy him into leaving or make him leave in anger.

He snarled, "Fine. I know what you're thinking as is."

Sinamon whispered, "Yeah right, you wish."

He grabbed her and pushed her into the wall, his eyes gleaming as they had in the dungeon.

"Do not doubt me. Now get your mind on the case."

He suddenly kissed her, roughly forcing his tongue to invade her mouth. She punched him in the chest trying to separate them; Hiei just pushed back. When he did pull back, she smacked him so hard his head snapped to the side.

He slowly turned back to her, his eyes dancing with fire that she hoped was of anger, not lust. He pulled back his hand as if to hit her but stopped and instead left the room, the flames of the deepest pits of the Makai licking at his frame. She slowly sunk down the wall, her knees coming to her chest as if in comfort. He had truly scared her with that one look; it was a look only those who had seen the worst of the world possessed. She knew nothing of his past but did not understand why he had to bring up memories long since forgotten. He was always making her realize something about herself when she only wanted things to stay the same. Now she would have to relive the past, the past where she was locked away unfairly and tortured beyond belief.

It was a past where only her lover had protected her, kept her from giving up on her people. Of course, the lover only came when she was given the Elixir of Life. It was one of the side effects on her. She could almost remember how it felt to be in his arms, the strength of them, the way they fit perfectly together. Even though she never would have thought herself a romantic, at those times it seemed as if they were the only ones in the whole universe. She always would forget the feelings when she awoke the next morning to deal with more important things. The things only the leader of the Kitsune Army is able to deal with. As she slowly drifted off to sleep, one thing remained in her mind; his voice had always been so deep and loving, had always chased the fears away.

She could almost hear him saying, "_Shush, my love. When you awake we will be together, forever_."


	4. Chapter 4

-1Chapter Four

Early the next morning, near sunrise, a huge commotion filled the castle as everyone prepared for the arrival of King Yama. The Onis dashed around in frenzy, hoping to get their last minute filing done. Prince KoEnma sat behind his desk, knowing he would tell Ayame his feelings as soon as she was called into his office.

Pressing the intercom, he asked, "George, please get Ayame for me. Tell her to come to my office."

He nervously shuffled the papers around on his desk, finally having caught up. He kept reviewing Ayame's monthly report, finding the fact that she lost nine souls in the last week very odd. He looked up as she entered, motioning her to take a seat.

"Ayame, firstly, please explain why you lost nine souls this week. You've never lost a soul in your time working for me."

She fiddled, her hands tangling in the clothe of her silver dress, "I'm sorry. I've just been worried about Botan."

KoEnma dropped his professional manner as he finally decided to speak, "Ayame, I'd like to apologize for the way I spoke to you before."

She forced a smile, trying to look forgiving, "It's alright. You're future ruler of the Reikai, it comes with the work."

He shook his head, "No, it's still inexcusable. I'm sorry." He took a deep breath, making to tell her his feelings, "I'd like to tell you something I've tried to hide for a long time. You see, I …"

The video screen came on, the head of the captain of the guard, Sonma appearing before him. He had orange spiked hair with black tips that fanned out uncontrollably. His silver eyes always sparkled mischievously, especially when he was on duty. The one thing that made him stand out was his dark tan skin, darker than even the Gonku's possessed.

"My Lord, three Youkai have broken into the castle. We tried to apprehend them but they escaped."

"Any damage? And can we, did we get any pictures to their identities?" KoEnma asked, his voice edged with urgency.

"I'm on it, My Lord. I shall inform you once the information comes," he bowed before the screen went blank.

Kurama stretched, his arm pulling a pillow close. He looked around groggily, but found Kikiyo was gone, the bed showing no imprint of her staying the night. He sighed and got up, quickly dressing in a pair of khaki pants and a white t-shirt with the logo 'Nobody dies a virgin, life always screws you over' in bold black letters. Lord Inari had left him with explicit instructions to get Sinamon's wound healed. He also was told to take her and Mahanri to the Ningenkai where hopefully Shiori would let Mahanri live with them.

He found Sinamon leaning against the wall of the balcony. Her shirt was still cut and bloody, now stiff from the dried blood.

"Sinamon, wake up," he said as he gently shook her till her eyes opened. "Hey sleepy-head, we're heading back to the Ningenkai but first you'll have to call and ask Shiori if you can."

Sinamon nodded, stretching but winced, her hand going to the wound just below her ribs. He sighed, helping her to the bed so he could cut the bandages off. Once they were removed, he walked back to the balcony and looked at the tree for Hiei. He was relaxed, his head resting on the tree trunk while he still clasped the hilt of his katana in the other.

"Hiei, I need your help," he said, knowing Hiei was awake.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at Kurama as if bored.

"I need you to see how well Sinamon's wound has healed."

Hiei snorted but jumped to the balcony. As he approached Sinamon, she glared at him, pulling her hand back as if to hit him. He pointedly ignored her and laid his hand over the wound. A moment later, he pulled it away and nodded to Kurama. It was strange to them both nonetheless to see an almost look of fear in Sinamon's eyes. Both ignored it, venturing from the room to finish the preparations for the journey home.

Yusuke was training with Kuwabara, each taking his share of blows. Kuwabara began to falter in his step, his sleep deprivation catching up with him. Yusuke and Kuwabara had been friends for three years; both would not admit that they thought the other a best friend.

Kuwabara was unlike the others though, besides the fact he strictly follow his Code of Honor, but he also towered over most of the others though he was a few months younger than Yusuke. He had orangish-red curly hair that alone brought attention to him. Another factor was his pebble-black eyes that seemed abnormally small. While his complexion was normal, it remained a mystery how it could remain pale no matter how much sun the tall man got, it never changed.

"Oi, Urameshi, what happened with you and Kikyana? I heard some yelling from her room."

Yusuke flipped Kuwabara, feeling himself calm as Kuwabara gasped for breath.

"Nothing. Just disagreed." He released his hold on him and continued, "Come on, let's just hang out today, no training. I'm kinda tired of it."

Kuwabara stared at him from the ground before nodding, "Yeah. Me, too."

Sinamon changed into a black long sleeved shirt, a logo of silvery flames across the chest and long pants. She pulled on a light jacket, flinching as it brushed her ribs. They were healed but the bruise was fresh and sore. She absentmindedly reached for another pair of clothing to put on but froze.

'_The others will be concerned if I continue to put on more clothing_,' she thought.

She shivered as the memory of those two days came to mind; her stomach convulsed sending her running to the bathroom. Hiei awakened those memories and with it, the fear she had worked so hard to lock away. She moved to the mirror and shook her head at how pale she was.

A voice startled her, "You know, it's different after a few years. The fear becomes almost too much to bear."

Sinamon looked at Kikiyo, "What are you talking about? I fear nothing."

Kikiyo laughed shortly before becoming serious again and started towards her, "How long did it happen to you?" On a second thought, "My friend had the same problem."

Sinamon sighed, letting herself sit on the floor, ignoring the pain, "Two days, in my Ningen life. When I was six."

Kikiyo nodded, sitting next to her though making a point of not touching her, "Want to tell me about it?"

Sinamon remained silent for a moment, her eyes focused on a far off place, memories flashing before her eyes.

"It's been seven years, almost eight but it stays strong, the fear I mean…" quietly she told Kikiyo a secret she never told anyone.

Later that afternoon, KoEnma called a meeting, bringing everyone together. Sinamon and Kikiyo pulled away from the others, Mahanri soon joining them. Yusuke and Kuwabara sat next to Kurama whose attention strayed to Kikiyo. Kikyana came in soon behind Botan, moving right over to the wall with the other girls.

KoEnma got their attention, "Listen up, this is serious. A group of three men broke into the palace; they stole the Crystal of Tamamo-No-Mae. It stored all the evil that was her soul, locking it within the crystal."

Kurama stared for a moment before saying, "But she was the…"

KoEnma nodded but Sinamon spoke, telling the others of the legend, "Tamamo-No-Mae was a Kitsune, very malicious and hateful. She roamed the Ningenkai throughout many centuries though one was most memorable." She closed her eyes as if remembering it herself. "She was a consort to the ruler of India, but was revealed and fled to China. Eventually she married King Zhou and was said to have caused the destruction of his dynasty. Finally she went to Japan and became a Court Lady. Again though, an astrologer revealed her. In the end, she turned into a stone, killing everything that approached whether by land, air, or sea. Finally she was destroyed by a priest, but not before she swore she would return to destroy them again."

KoEnma nodded, "Though we've kept it a secret, her loyal servants have been searching for her soul in order to revive her and fulfill her promise."

The room went silent as everyone ran through the story in their minds.

"So if this lady died, why didn't you send her to that place like Yakumo? Oblivion, I think it was," Kuwabara questioned curiously.

Kikiyo answered, "Because in a hundred lifetimes she would be released, her soul allowed a new body. Her promise would still be completed." She stood and approached KoEnma, "Is that why Lord Inari ordered us here?"

KoEnma nodded, his eyes flickering to Mahanri and Sinamon before returning to Kikiyo, "Yes, Lord Inari says there is a rogue Kitsune.."

Sinamon cut in, "Nogitsune. They are the ones who disagree with Inari, who disobey."

KoEnma continued, rubbing his temples, "This Nogitsune is who is helping them. We can assume the…Nogitsune is a psychic or possesses a Jagan."

A smack resounded through the room as Yusuke nursed the red handprint on his cheek.

"What was that for?" he yelled as he glared at her.

Sinamon maneuvered so she would not touch him and began to leave, "I know

where this going and I don't need any information. No damage was done."

KoEnma watched her leave, not noticing Hiei disappear from the window off to his right.

Yusuke finally voiced what a lot of them were thinking, "Are we sure she's trustworthy?"

Kikiyo and Mahanri spoke at the same time, "It's her past."

They smiled at each other before laughing as they walked out the door.

Hiei caught up with Sinamon just outside the walls guarding the palace from invaders, though allowing a few thieves to penetrate the protective barrier that kept Prince KoEnma and King Yama safe. Sinamon watched him, hoping he would walk by her, though she knew he would not. She seemed to always be right when it came to him.

He leaned against the wall and asked, "What's your problem?"

Sinamon ignored him, moving to leave, but Hiei slammed her back against the wall.

"So, you know that kiss was to get your mind off wanting to try it. Get it on the case, dammit."

Sinamon pulled back, her eyes blank as Hiei transformed in front of her eyes. His hair became blonde and sleeked back, his eyes to silver. His face showed signs of age. Hiei watched her cower away from him. She involuntarily pulled her knees to her chest, as if for protection. He knelt before her, watching the emotions filter through her eyes; betrayal, hurt, pain, and fear.

"Sinamon?" he whispered, his hands reaching for her shoulder.

She pulled away, a quiet whimper escaping her lips as she shuddered, "Please not again.

I'll be good, I promise."

He narrowed his eyes, his hand grabbing hold of her shoulder ignoring the pleas for help. He was shocked; how did Kurama not know of this when he was her brother. Thinking of nothing else, he lightly pressed on her ribs, bringing her out of her trance. She collapsed against the wall, breathing in deep breaths to soothe her racing, pounding heart.

She could feel the tears prickling up behind her eyes but she closed her eyelids to lock them inside. She knew they would escape soon.

"Hiei, leave me alone… Please, just go."

He glared at her, but did not leave. Instead he leaned closer, pulling her into his lap though self-consciously keeping her away. He knew what she went through, he knew for it had happened to him as well. It was different for a girl. If he had known, he never would have kissed her. Bringing forth the memories of a rape is something no one should endure.

Sinamon tried to pull away but he just held her tighter.

"Sinamon, you can't allow this to rule you. It's something you must overcome." He closed his eyes, flashes of his own tragic moment flooding forth, "Trust me, it will be hard, but I did it."

Sinamon pulled back and stared, shocked at him before letting the tears fall freely.

She buried her head in his shoulder, sobbing, "It was terrible. I felt dirty and … I wanted to die. I should have died. Why couldn't I have just died? No one knew, no one cared. They still trusted him. They still let him near me. Finally he was killed but…. I don't understand."

He finally gave in; pulling her closer as she cried the tears she always kept locked away, "It's not your fault. No one knows because you never let them know. You won't die, not as long as you have people that care."

She pulled back, the tears running thickly down her cheeks, "No one cares. At least you had people that would care for you no matter what, a family that would protect you when you were younger. Tamamo's followers killed my parents while they searched for the Crystal. Kurama and I split when I was only 10 and then the people I thought that cared for me ended up being the ones that killed me. Don't give that shit that someone cares!"

He glared, standing before her, forgetting that she knew nothing about him or his past, "Yes, we can all see how well cared for I was. I raised myself, no one helped. Yukina had a nice home with the Koorimes. They knew nothing about me. I was raised through Hell, literally. Now you at least knew you were cared for somewhat but me…." He trailed off, suddenly realizing what he was saying.

As he turned to move away, she grabbed his leg, "No! Please, Hiei, just don't go. Not yet."

He stared deep into her eyes, his heart realizing he couldn't leave her even if he had wanted to. He sat back down, pulling her into his lap once again, his hand running soothing circles across her back to comfort her.

Lord Inari sentenced another Nogitsune to a century of serving those he despised before noticing the barrier between the Reikai and Ningenkai becoming weak, the energy being transferred to a barrier that was organizing itself between the Makai and Ningenkai. He pressed a series of buttons, bringing a picture up on the screen.

Sighing happily, he spoke to himself, "Perhaps this will be easier than I thought."

He pressed a button on the console, a giant M glowing.

"Mahanri, we might not need to interfere. Give them a little time but if nothing happens, continue with the plan."

Mahanri looked to Kikiyo and smiled, "Lord Inari says they are making progress."

Kikiyo nodded, her mind on the night before, Kurama's words echoing in her head, '_Just one last night_.'

"That's good. If only my life was that good."

Han looked at her, surprised, "But you and Ku…"

"Are old news. That was when he was an Kitsune, now he's a…"

'_Ningen_,' she thought sadly.

"Yeah, but it's better than having no one, like me." Mahanri pulled a deck of cards from one f her countless pockets, "How 'bout a game? That always cheers me up."

Kikiyo smiled wistfully, but nodded, letting Han deal her the cards.

.

KoEnma looked critically at the others, continuing even though Lord Inari's agent's had left, "This Nogitsune had nine tails and Tamamo-No-Mae was only one of her names. She had her lovers kill thousands, millions of Ningens to keep her happy."

"So if she awakens, how do we destroy her?" Kuwabara asked, his hands slightly sweaty from fear.

KoEnma sighed, taking his pacifier out before continuing, "Then the case will be dealt with by the Gods. We will each choose one person, Lady Nonomiko, my Father, Lord Inari, and I. Those four people will have power bestowed on them, allowing them to capture the soul of Tamamo-No-Mae. I hope that you will be able to get the Crystal from them before that can happen."

He clicked on the video screen bringing up a picture of three men, all looking like Gonku's though with a mix of dog.

"They are wearing cloaking, devised by a very powerful mage. Sonma and two others are

working on deciphering the images and finding their true identity."

Yusuke nodded, leaning back against the wall, "So what's the class?"

The Prince sighed, "Ranging from High A to High B class."

Yusuke seemed disappointed but with a glance at Kikyana, he changed, "Well, Diaper Boy, I've got some stuff to solve. So I'll be going." He stood, walking towards the door but stopped short, "Kikyana, can I talk to you? Please?"

Kikyana nodded, following him out while the others stared on in interest.

Kuwabara stood next and excused himself, "I have to go also and set some things straight. If this is all then…"

KoEnma waved him off, his head beginning to pound with the frustration he was going through. He had yet to tell Ayame how he felt but with this case, he might never have the chance if Tamamo-No-Mae was unleashed.

Kurama left without an excuse, knowing KoEnma needed time to himself to solve a problem. It seemed everyone was trying desperately to ignore the fact that the worlds now depended on them and solely them.

Yusuke pulled Kikyana into his room, watching her study the white and blue, "Kik, I really want to figure out what's wrong. I don't want to leave on this mission without knowing you'll be there for me when I return."

Kikyana focused on him, "Don't you see? That's the point. How do I know you'll even be coming back? You've died twice and won't even tell me what happened." She turned away and glared at the wall, "Yu, I don't know who you are anymore."

He sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed, "Kik, what I'm not supposed to tell you is that I'm a Mazaku. My Father is Raizan, joint ruler of the Makai. I'm going to inherit his kingdom."

She sat down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Yu, I'm sorry. I want to come with you." At his look of fear, she continued, "But I know I can't. Yu, I love you. You know that, right?"

He nodded, pulling her to lay down next to him on the bed, her head on his shoulder, "Kik, I love you, too. Just… don't worry. As a long as I know you'll be here for me, I'll always return."

She sat up, smiling down at him before kissing him. His tongue found its way into her mouth and together they created a dance of their own.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Two men waited impatiently for their leader. The youngest holding a bag while he continually sighed, smiling as his partner Yunsung growled. Niri finally set down the bag, taking a spot on the step.

Niri was too young to be in Yoshi's employment, being eleven, but had proven his worth many times. His jet-black hair was in constant dishevelment, seeming to have a mind of its own. His green eyes never seemed to concentrate on one thing or person, unless he wished to find their secrets, the secrets they bury deep in their mind. He was only 4'6, finding it near impossible to get either Yoshi or Yunsung's attention, as they both were over six feet tall. He wore an all white robe, finding it soothing in contrast to his light tan skin. Though only eleven, he was leanly muscled and could easily brandish practically any weapon.

Yunsung was quite different. Having spiky blood-red hair, which he continued to shake out as if he knew something was to be poured on it. His eyes were ice blue, making him believed to be from the icy tundra's of the Makai. He also wore mostly all black. His pants were baggy black jeans, a chain partially falling out of his right knee pocket. He wore a white muscle shirt, black skull and cross bones on the front and a black leather jacket. He, too, was leanly muscled, though preferring fire to regular weapons. He was the tallest of the three reaching to be 6'5.

"Where is he? Dammit, he's late," Yunsung complained, wishing to be destroying another part of the Makai.

The doors swung open, admitting Yoshi to enter, "Yun, you should respect me. I am never late." He stood behind his giant mahogany desk, watching them both, "The Crystal."

Niri picked the bag up and placed it on the table, pulling the crystal from inside. It was the size of a softball, black as obsidian but gave forth a ghostly pale glow.

Yoshi nodded, a small smile gracing his features, "You are both excused. Niri, though I have a mission for. Yun, leave."

Yunsung grumbled but left obediently, his mind set on destruction.

"Niri, I wish for you to return to KoEnma's palace. Yama will be returning soon and I wish to know when Yun is discovered. You have the certain stealth I need. Now go."

Niri nodded, turning without an expression, never revealing his true thoughts. Yoshi sighed, turning back to the crystal, which he set on a stand.

Yoshi, though looking to be Youkai was truly Ningen. His hair was the black of nothingness, the abyss. His eyes switching between blood red when angered and ruby-red when somewhat calm. He was pale which helped him with his normal activities as a ninja or assassin. He was muscled more so than the other two helping him to be in charge, being the most intelligent of the three helped as well. He wore black pants that helped hide his many weapons except his long sword that was sheathed across his back in a black dragon scaled scabbard. He refused to hide behind his shirts so mostly only wore black vests or jackets. Around his right forearm was a tattoo of a snake, its fangs posed to strike.

He sat back in his chair, sighing contently while staring at the crystal. Soon Tamamo-No-Mae would be released and he would be able to kill all those who opposed him with the help of the Shadow Wraiths she unlocked. Shadow Wraiths were those that she had been locked away with, her loyal followers from before she was trapped. Now they would be his to command and he would be able to rule the worlds. No one could tell him what he did or believed was wrong; if they did, he would not hesitate to kill them.

Sinamon awoke in her bed, finding, hoping all was a dream. She slowly extracted herself from the black silk, which proved to be quite difficult. As she stepped onto the balcony, she found the small army of the Reikai training for the battle. If the group failed in their mission, she could only guess how many lives would be forfeit. She drew comfort in the fact she would have to help with this life-threatening event.

Though mid-afternoon, Sinamon felt no less refreshed as she made to return to preparations for their journey ahead. She only wished she would be allowed one last visit to see Shiori, though knew it could not happen. If she did not complete the mission, it would not matter, as everything would be destroyed. They were supposed to go back to the Ningenkai but depending on where the enemies were there might not be a chance to see her truly again. If they showed any true feelings about her then they would find her dead before the week was out. Their enemies were known to resort to pathetic tactics such as killing the person the Spirit Detectives held dear.

Prince KoEnma silently watched the tape from security, noting the simple flash of light that struck one of the Youkai faces. He sighed, exhaustion claiming him as it always did on cases. George threw open the doors in a hurry, skidding to a stop in front of KoEnma's desk.

"Prince KoEnma, sir. Your father, King Yama has returned."

He sighed as he stood, thinking, '_And this could get no worse_.'

His Father had already seated himself upon the throne of the Reikai, trying to relax from a long journey. He was roughly twenty feet tall with black curly hair that fell to his shoulders and a beard about as long. His skin was a tan complexion, though fairing more so pale from exhaustion. His cream kimono-like shirt he wore tried to conceal his bulky figure but suppressed nothing. His black pants were tied around the waist, his shirt tucked in.

"Ah, KoEnma, son, what has happened since I've been gone," King Yama asked, his deep voice loudly tilling the room.

KoEnma bowed, knelling before his Father answering, "Father, earlier this morning three thieves broke in and stole an artifact. I am sending my Spirit Detectives to retrieve the item and those who stole it."

King Yama nodded, sliding his moon shaped glasses on, "Yes, Inari has told me as much. Son, get back the Crystal. I do not care for your Ningenkai so its fate rests with you."

"Yes, Father. I must go debrief the Spirit Detectives."

KoEnma hurried from the room, his mind set on capturing those who stole the crystal again. He would not allow the Ningenkai to be destroyed or those that lived in the Ningenkai. He had grown to care about everyone of them since he had first visited the Ningenkai. Now they depended on him to survive and he'd be damned if he was going to let them die.

Yusuke snuggled closer to the object he held, ignoring the persistent shaking.

"Urameshi. Get up! I need your help!" the annoying voice that belonged to Kuwabara yelled.

Kikyana groaned beside Yusuke, finally waking up. She looked between the two boys and shoved him off the bed.

"Ow! Why'd you do that?"

"Go help him before I kill you both. I want to sleep," she snuggled into the spot Yusuke had previously owned.

Growling, he stood and followed Kuwabara out into the hallway, completely forgetting to grab a shirt.

"Urameshi, I want to know what you think of me asking Botan out," Kuwabara stated seriously, his eyes finding something on the floor interesting.

Yusuke could not help but chuckle, "So you're finally going to admit you like Botan? Huh, took you long enough." He shifted slightly but nodded, "I think it's about time. Now can I go back to bed?"

Kuwabara nodded, waving him off impatiently as he began walking away. At least he could be assured that he could ask Yusuke's help but it didn't mean that it helped to situation. Botan had yet to answer him and he had to return to the Ningenkai before the day was through. With a shrug, he left the corridor, trying to find a place to relax.

Hiei suddenly sat bolt upright, his eyes scanning the foliage below his tree. The brush rustled slightly, his eyes narrowing as he fingered the hilt of his katana. He could make out the small figure of a child as he looked closer.

"Hn," he said quietly, dropping silently down behind the child.

As if sensing him, Niri turned and casually glanced at the Forbidden Child. He calmly ignored him as if he was no threat. Hiei narrowed his eyes in anger, his hand reaching to pluck the boy up and bring him to the Diaper Boy. It shocked him for only a moment that he had picked up the nickname Yusuke had given to KoEnma. It suited the Demi-God well as he normally was in a young child's form to conserve energy.

His concentration was broken when Sinamon called down, "Hiei, KoEnma wants us. There's supposed to be new information involving one of the thieves."

He glanced down as he felt displaced air and growled when he stared into empty space where the boy had been a moment before. It always seemed Sinamon was breaking his concentration to tell him something or just by her mere presence. Casting a suspicious glance around the foliage, he quickly retreated to the meeting. He could only hope it would not be a waste of his time; he could be out fighting at the very moment but KoEnma seemed to know when he planned on doing so and called a meeting to dissuade him.

Kikiyo grumpily sat down in KoEnma's office having just awoken. Kurama entered a moment later, rubbing a bump on his head he had received from the before mentioned girl when awakening her. Yusuke and Kikyana sat together on the love seat while they waited for the others. Kuwabara entered next with Botan close behind. Hiei, Sinamon, and Mahanri entered last, all three refusing to sit.

KoEnma sighed, motioning to the video screen, "On a closer inspection of the security tapes, it seems we catch a glimpse of one of the thieves."

Clicking another button, a picture of a boy making a face at the camera appeared.

"Name is Yunsung. Very destructive though only a low A class. Power is fire. Also, he may look stupid, but he thinks a lot of things over. I don't believe him to be the mastermind though."

Yusuke nodded, "Youkai?"

KoEnma turned to him and nodded, deciding against speaking for the moment. An awkward silence ensued, the air seemingly becoming heavy.

Finally, he spoke, "It seems their headquarters are in the Ningenkai, so you'll be starting there. Kikiyo, you will have to revert to your Ningen form I'm afraid, in order to continue with your investigation."

He sat quietly a moment, trying to figure out a way to relay just how important this was before continuing, "My Father has left this to us. The fate of your world once again rests on your shoulders. He won't help to recapture the Crystal so don't expect much assistance. Do remember, you're a team and must act as one."

He shrugged his shoulders to relieve some tension before smiling, "I trust you guys with this. Don't let me down. Botan, Kikyana, and I will see you to the portal but we can go no further. The barriers are shifting even as we speak and this is our major priority even over the Crystal."

He sighed dejectedly, his smile faltering, "I know you can do this. It's neither for me nor the Reikai, but for the Ningenkai and all the countless Ningens who will not know their end is coming. Save them. Now come, we must hurry and arrange where Kikiyo and Han will stay."

They followed KoEnma out, each hurrying to pack the things they would need while KoEnma arranged places for the two others. It would be interesting in itself to find where in the Ningenkai a Youkai could hide without drawing attention to himself. It did not help that Ningens were quite oblivious to even Spirit Guides in their presence, but Youkai could be felt by nearly everyone.

Kikyana hugged Yusuke tightly, promising herself not to cry over him leaving again. Yusuke held her just as tightly, breathing in her scent. It smelled, as always, of chocolate and strawberries.

He sighed, "I have to go, Kik. But when I get back, I promise I'll let you meet my dad and be prepared for a surprise."

Kikyana nuzzled the side of his neck, whispering, "I love you, Yusuke. Remember that."

He pulled back and smiled, "I love you, too."

"Oi, Urameshi, we've got to get going," Kuwabara hollered from beside the portal.

Yusuke quickly pecked Kikyana on the cheek before hurrying to catch up with the others.

On the other side, Sinamon took a deep breath, letting her senses adapt to the Ningenkai.

"Ah," she muttered, feeling content though nervous at the thought of how her Mother would react.

Kurama gently laid a hand on her shoulder quickly pulling it back when she flinched away.

"It will be alright, just relax," he whispered, his eyes narrowed in concern.

Hiei growled, suddenly dragging Sinamon away. He slammed her against the tree and ripped his bandanna off. Concentrating he tried to lock the memories away but Sinamon's Jagan prevented him from doing so.

He growled again, suddenly crashing his lips to hers. She froze for a moment in shock, giving him the time to lock the memories away before he was roughly, mentally shoved back. Acting as though nothing had happened, he returned to the group that was already dispersing.

It was decided Kikiyo would be staying at Yusuke's while Han stayed with Kurama and Sinamon in the guest room at their house. Hiei, of course, would be occupying his normal tree outside their house in the front yard. Since Yukina was gone, he refused to sleep in Genkai's yard, not allowing himself to think of the past. Even so, it seemed to be one of the only things that occupied his mind since her death. Now he could use the case as a distraction though it was doubtful it would truly do any good. She was gone and it was his fault for letting his guard down, for letting her go off on her own.

She would have been upset to know he blamed himself but it was true. If they had not been related, she never would have been abandoned and never would have been killed by his enemies. Now she was gone and he had to face the world without his sister, the one person that knew how to make him smile, how to make him not hate the world around him. If he could have, he would have destroyed the Ningenkai but Yukina loved it so much, it would only hurt more. With a sigh, he flitted off into the trees, hoping that his memories would be enough to keep him going.

KoEnma sat quietly, his mind running through each scenario that was possible if this case failed. His mind was so preoccupied; he failed to notice his visitor until they laid a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, his mind suddenly bringing forth sensual dreams as the scent of blueberries assaulted his nose.

"What can I do for you, Ayame?" he questioned softly, making sure nothing was revealed in his voice.

She smiled, "Botan said you wanted to see me."

KoEnma mentally damned Botan to seven different kinds of Meikai as he tried to clam himself. Feeling Ayame's hand on his shoulder made his skin, under the cloth, heat. A small electric current danced over his skin.

"Please, have a seat. I never finished talking to you the other day."

He took in a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies that had just been born in his stomach.

"Well, you see, I've been meaning to say this for a while and I just really didn't have the courage so I thought 'Well, KoEnma, if you don't do it, it's your loss.' So I figured I had better do something about it before I ended up backing out of it completely."

Ayame suddenly placed a finger on his lips, causing KoEnma to freeze, biting back a moan at the slightest touch from her.

"Take a deep breath. Now what is it you are trying to say?" Ayame withdrew her finger and smiled at him, waiting for him to continue.

He clamped his eyes shut and exhaled, about to continue. Unfortunately he was unable to finish as a beeping filled the room.

He growled and threw open his desk drawer and removed a metal rectangular case with

'SD' inscribed on the top, "What?!"

Kurama's face appeared, smiling broadly, "Everyone's at their positions."

He nodded, "Any sign of our criminals yet?"

Kurama shook his head, "No, everything's quiet here."

He shut the case, looking up to find the room empty. He sighed, letting his head fall to the hard wooden desk top with a bang. How was he supposed to tell her if every time there was an interruption she left? He had to think of something to do before he completely backed out. At this rate, it seemed a high possibility. If this was how she would react to a slight interruption, what would she do when she found out her boss loved her and wanted her to marry him? He groaned suddenly, feeling a sense of despair fall over him as he let his head continue to rest on his desktop.

Sinamon nervously fidgeted as she stepped up to ring the doorbell; Kurama having already gone inside about five minutes before. She shifted slightly, trying to draw in a deep breath. Glancing up, she saw Hiei's eyes gleaming down at her, mocking her. She glared back, calming herself moments before the door opened. Shiori gasped, her eyes widening as she saw Sinamon.

"Mom, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad, I just want to come home," Sinamon looked down, knowing Shiori was about to cry.

Shiori shook off the shock; the tears forming silent trail down her cheeks as she hugged her daughter.

"Sinamon, oh, don't do that to me again. You broke my heart."

Sinamon lightly hugged her before stepping back, "Mom? Can I ask you a favor?"

Shiori nodded, her brow slightly creased as she wondered as to what Sinamon would ask.

"See, I have this friend, her name's Mahanri and her parents abandoned her. So could she stay here?"

Mahanri stepped out of the shadows and gave her a half-smile that only Sinamon knew was playful as Han fingered the cards in her pocket.

Shiori finally nodded, sidestepping, "Welcome to our home, my dear. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

Mahanri smiled again, holding out her deck of cards, pictures of Jesters in colorful outfits gleaming on the other side, "Anyone up for a game of cards?"

Sinamon laughed, shoving her inside while casting a quick glance at Hiei, though knowing she would not see him. He always disappeared after he felt there was no use to remain. She wished he would be more open with her. Something about him made her shiver but she couldn't guess what. Just by seeing him, it was as if something nagged at her from the back of her mind. It stayed out of reach though so she found it pointless to think it over when she should be working on the case. With a sigh, she shut the door, plastering a smile on her face as her Mother gave her a glass of milk. As she rolled her eyes, she drank to appease her mother.

.

Yusuke shoved Kikiyo into his room, groaning as his mother, Atsuko, stumbled into the room. She had long brown hair, parted to the right that matched her eyes.

"Yusuke, get me some coffee."

He sighed, "Mom, this is Kikiyo Yashime. She'll be staying here for a while."

Atsuko looked at her and nodded, "Nice to meet you. You his girlfriend?"

Kikiyo looked at him in disgust, "Not now or ever. Hell, I wouldn't even be here if I had a choice."

She nodded again, stumbling down the hall to her room.

"Sorry 'bout that. She's always getting drunk."

He disappeared down the hall as well with a mug of steaming coffee. Kikiyo sighed, glancing around the small apartment. It could hardly be called quaint with its sparse furniture. Somehow though, the two occupants found a way to survive in the small space and a Ningen would not best her. With another sigh, she sank down onto the brown couch surprised at how comfortable it was.

Yoshi sat pensively in his office awaiting Niri's return with information. He was already informed that the barriers were shifting.

"This is not good at all," he spoke out loud to himself.

If the barriers were reformed it would be nearly impossible to get the idiotic recruits from the Makai. He sighed, deciding it was also his job to rid the worlds of the Forbidden Children that could change his chances in winning. They did not scare him at all; they only made it highly impossible to do any of the things he wished to do. When Tamamo awoke, she would also have plans in the Makai and would be angered to find she could not reach the plateau in which it resided.

He fingered the ninja star he held, the others embedded in a crudely drawn picture of King Yama. The door slowly opened, Niri dragging a drunk Yunsung in the room and dropping him heavily on the floor.

"Niri, glad you could return. I take it they found out his identity."

Niri nodded, nudging Yun with the toe of his shoe.

"He is expendable. There are more pressing matters. It seems the Spirit Detectives are now in the Ningenkai. Tell Spyk to get rid of Yun, he's worthless now. Spread the word to the others. Lady Tamamo-No-Mae will awaken tomorrow night at midnight."

He turned his chair to stare into the obsidian depths of the crystal and smiled mockingly, "Come and get me. Soon it will be too late even for you to crush me."

He threw the star over his shoulder, the tip ripping into King Yama's throat, right where his artery would be.

"Good shot," Niri said with no emotion.

Yoshi leaned back, his eyes landing on the Youkai that laid unconscious on his marble floor, "And so it begins."

Niri turned to look again at Yun, only to find the Youkai glaring up at him with such fire in his eyes that Niri had to look away. Yun knew though that the young Ningen felt nothing whatsoever. He did not know what it was that made him so but it was not enough. The boy deserved to suffer for his betrayal, deserved to die for not being loyal to his partner. As he was dragged from the room, his lost thought was on the little Ningen boy that had been his partner for the last year and the great pain he would inflict on the child.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Sinamon relaxed on her bed, feeling at home as noise resounded up the stairs. She rolled over, stifling a cry of surprise when she came face to face with Hiei, their noses barely touching. She jumped back, banging her head on the wall.

"Damn. What are you doing here, Hiei?" she questioned, rubbing the back of her head.

He stood up as if nothing happened, "The other one who stole the Crystal was a little boy, Ningen."

She froze and peered at him through the darkness broken only by the headlights of passing cars, "Are you sure?"

He stared silently out the window for a moment before facing her, his eyes glaring at her through darkness. She froze, her breath stopping just as suddenly in her chest as she gazed at him. Something about him made her want to rethink everything she had been taught throughout her life. With a shake of her head, she raised her eyebrows awaiting an answer.

He nodded, opening her window, "You should sleep. The Ningen says you're going to school."

She groaned, looking back over to see him quickly turn away. He was gone out the window before she could say a word. She sighed as she pulled the covers up to her neck, staring at the spot where he had been moments before. With a groan, she extracted herself from her covers, throwing them to the foot of her bed as she sat down heavily in her desk chair. Pulling her journal and pen from her drawer, she peered silently out the window as if expecting to see Hiei perched on the tree just outside.

When nothing was seen, she returned to writing in journal.

Dear Journal,

I find I cannot keep up my role as the traitor, even with my years of training. Brother found out and he was not pleased that I could even betray him and the others. Kuwabara seems think I'm the one who is to blame for Yukina's death as I had said but there's nothing I can do about that. It's probably true anyway. I met Hiei today, yes, my Brother's best friend. He's a huge mystery and I love it. There's something he's hiding and I hope I can figure it out. We're searching for some Kitsune named Tamamo-No-Mae but it seems we might never find her at this rate. I have school tomorrow, sadly so I'm going to go to bed but I promise to find time to write in you.

Yours, Sinamon

She closed the book with a snap, training her eyes once more out the window.

Mahanri laughed to herself, watching Sinamon peer out the window from her desk as she wrote.

"They don't even know what they are capable of doing," she whispered to herself.

"What is it that you, Kikiyo and Inari aren't telling us?" Kurama whispered just as quietly.

She smiled slightly, her eyes blank purple orbs as she regarded Sinamon from afar, "You'll have to ask Lord Inari. I'm not permitted to tell anyone of their secret."

She then turned, staring into Kurama's emerald depths, "Let's play cards. Talk to Inari in the morning."

He shook his head, a polite smile taking possession of his lips, "I have school. As do you, I believe it is time to sleep."

She nodded, turning before he could see the smile slip from her face. She closed and locked the door behind her, nearly crumbling before she moved away from the door. She leaned against the wall, allowing herself to slide down in misery as the first tears escaped their holding cell in her mind.

She pulled her knees to her chest and let her head bury in her arms as sobs racked her body though she cried silently.

Only one word escaped her lips, filled with such pain yet a love beyond that of life, "Spyk."

A man slowly deposited Yunsung in the barriers of Lady Nonomiko's territory, knowing no one but those she permitted would enter.

"Sleep. You will hopefully remember nothing," the man whispered, running a hand through his hair.

The sun was just reaching its tendrils over the horizon, bathing Spyk in light.

His hair gleamed green as he peered to see the icy castle that was his known home. His eyes were orange, though five years before they would turn red when his Youkai side took over. His skin was light tan, surprisingly since he lived in the icy tundra's of the Makai near the Koorime Isle. He was leanly muscled though you could still see them on his chest and arms from under his leather vest. Sticking up from under his green hair were two pointed Youkai ears, three piercing on the right earlobe.

He wore black baggy pants, chains hanging from each pocket, and a black vest over his bare chest. He stared off into the sunrise as an invisible knife became embedded in his heart. He knew the one girl he loved, his wife was crying somewhere in pain. It ripped at his heart that he had yet to find her. He really did not deserve her, especially with his Youkai side taking control every time it wanted.

He nudged Yun and turned when he got no reply. Silently he promised to find his wife, the one who ripped his heart apart yet filled it with love at the same time.

Lord Inari shifted through a stack of papers, his eyes reading and rereading the contents. He sighed, leaning back, the bridge of his nose pinched between his thumb and index.

"I should really get some sleep," he muttered to himself.

The screen clicked on a beautiful woman appearing. She had long white hair that fell like silk past her waist. Her eyes were silver but warm with kindness. However, if you anger her, her eyes pierce through you like spikes stabbing repeatedly without mercy. Her skin was pale like ice or freshly fallen snow, glowing with inner radiance. She was leanly muscled as any god or goddess was. Today she wore a long white skirt that fell to the floor and a white belly shirt revealing her navel while the sleeves swept down to the floor.

"Lady Nonomiko, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

She smiled warmly, "I have one of the Youkai you seek. His name is Yunsung. He seems willing to help you capture the others in his leader's court."

Lord Inari smirked, "Ah, so he crumbled. Good. When can I have him here?"

Lady Nonomiko nodded, "He will be delivered momentarily." She seemed to shift to another persona and smiled, "So Inari, when will we have our meeting? I have so missed your company."

Lord Inari smiled, "And I yours. Unfortunately, I have a very busy schedule. Now with this new mission with the Crystal, it's only worse."

Lady Nonomiko nodded, "Well, I will talk to you soon."

Lord Inari nodded as the screen went blank, thinking, _Another sleepless night_.

He knew it would be well worth it if they were able to save the Ningenkai. Otherwise he would be quite angered by the fact he had already missed a week of sleep. With this case, it seemed to only get worse and there was no time for him to regain the sleep lost. He sighed as a knock sounded at his door. He would have to help interrogate the prisoner if he wanted to get the answers he needed.

Sinamon tossed in her sleep, trying to brandish the bits of memories that flashed through her minds eye. Dreams finally allowed her to fall silent. Hiei plaqued her thoughts, drawing forth the subconscious feelings she refused to accept otherwise. Subconsciously, she knew he was the one who held her in the dungeons when she had lost all others. He had always calmed her, made her warm and strong while she had almost given up all hope. Through his strength she had been able to escape but that had been a lifetime ago and now they were reunited as if they belonged to each other. She snuggled closer to her pillow, a slight smile possessing her lips as she thought that.

If it were true, it would explain the feelings he made her feel with just a glance. It seemed so far-fetched with them now living in the Ningenkai but anything seemed possible. Souls were trapped in Crystals, why couldn't they be soul mates? She had never thought she would be as lucky as to have one, not like her brother and Kikiyo. Yet perhaps it was her destiny. It occurred to her then of the legend. She smiled broadly even in sleep, she had always wanted to be a legend. Even if no one remembered her specifically, they would always remember the legend.

Hiei remained awake, casting a cautious glance around the yard, feeling uneasy. Something was going on yet he could not seem to identify it. Suddenly a small voice entered his mind.

"Hiei," it whispered quietly, calling him sensually.

The voice belonged to one he knew though hardly. He climbed through Sinamon's window to find her tangled in the sheets from her waist down. Her upper half was clad in a black tank top exposing the pale skin that was her abs. He could feel his heart skip a beat as he gazed over the sleeping form. He reached a hesitant hand out to lightly touch her stomach, pulling it back at the feel of the cold skin, feeling electricity dance over his fingertips.

He narrowed his eyes at them before turning them to the sleeping form. Unbeknownst to him, his gaze lightened as the young girl curled up slightly, her hair obscuring her face from his eyes. He reached out before he realized what was happening, brushing the hair from her face. His hand remained on her cheek, watching fascinated as she nuzzled it lightly before coming to rest.

He pulled his hand back quickly, glaring at it angrily before shoving it into his pocket before it could betray him again. He turned quickly, hurrying from the room through the window as if he had never been there in the first place.

Kikiyo sat quietly on her windowsill. Her mind was playing over past events, comparing what it was like the other night to the others before it. She knew she still loved and would always love Kurama. Yet, the thought of him being a Ningen, she could not decide what she would do.

He had changed from being ruthless to all but his sister and herself; now he cared for everyone. She fell silent in her thoughts, letting her eyes stray once again to the moon. It seemed to hold Kurama's face shining at her, a small smile forming on the lips Kikiyo had come to know, memorize.

How was she to choose when her life gave her no time to truly get to know the new Kurama? He may have seemed different but what if he was still the same and she did nothing to bring back their relationship? Would she ever find happiness without him to guide her, protect her, love her? It seemed strange that she had grown so dependent on him even after nearly seventeen years apart. She knew she wanted him but that was not what their relationship had been built on before.

She laid her head back with a sigh, pulling the light blanket up over her shoulders. She felt, for once in her life, alone and cold. Shivering involuntarily, she fell into a light sleep, her hair pillowing against the cold glass of the window.

Kurama also lay awake though he was trying to think of anything but the girl he loved, yet knew could not be his again. He ran over thousands of problems for his math class but continually found his mind returning to her.

He finally sighed, letting his pen drop onto his desk, forgotten and abandoned. He leaned back defeated as his mind swam with images of Kikiyo, mostly from their past life.

He slammed his fist down in an unnatural show of anger, whispering harshly, "Why? Why can't she love me like she used to?"

His glare should have burnt through the wall had he had the power of fire like Sinamon. As it were, he relented moments later. He knew he would always love her, had known from the moment he had met her but things had changed since then. He was a Ningen and would die before she. It was highly unlikely she would even die if at all.

He hardly glanced up when Lord Inari appeared beside him, leaning casually on his desk, "Go to sleep, Kurama. Give it time. She just found out you were not dead."

Kurama nodded, "I know, I just hoped it would be like it used to."

Lord Inari placed a hand on his shoulder, directing him toward his bed, "Sleep. You've got school in the morning."

Before he could protest, his body slipped into a deep sleep, giving him the rest he needed.

Prince KoEnma and Lord Inari sat across from Yunsung who was eating some food sloppily.

"So, you want to know about Yoshi, huh?" he asked between mouthfuls of food.

Lord Inari nodded, "Yes, we want to know about your leader."

Yun shrugged, "Just an assassin. Trained as a Ninja, that sorta thing."

KoEnma nodded to Lord Inari who continued fingering the small stiletto in his hand, "When does he plan to awaken Tamamo?"

Yun stopped eating and swallowed, "Tonight, midnight." He glanced at the two rulers, "This is serious, isn't it?"

KoEnma's eyes narrowed to mere slits, "Of course this is serious! The one person who could bring about the end of the world is to be awoken tonight! Now where?!"

"Right under the Spirit Detectives noses'." At the confused looks being passed between the two, he continued, "The school, Shiriyaski something or other, is putting on a play. They plan to use one of the scenes as how they'll awaken her. 'Course, now that you know, it'll probably only be a distraction."

KoEnma flipped open the case communicator, Yusuke's sleepy and grumpy face appearing on the screen, "Yusuke, this is urgent. We have information about the rebirth…"

Yusuke listened to everything, noting each to memory as he hurried to dress for school. It was an hour before school was to start but he knew when it was important, it wasn't what he felt that mattered but what was needed to be done. As much as he hated to go to school, he knew the Ningenkai depended on him and the other Spirit Detectives to save it. As he shut the case in his hand, he grabbed the phone and made the calls necessary to get everyone together before school.

Sinamon, Han, and Kurama left the house hurriedly, trying to get away from Shiori. She had found Sinamon asleep in her bed and cried loudly, still believing Sinamon to be missing. They ran down the sidewalk, a flicker of black in the trees as Hiei followed close behind. Yusuke, Kikiyo, and Kuwabara were waiting a block from the school for them; Yusuke irritated by how long he had to wait.

"Guys, Tamamo is awakening tonight, during the school play. They're using one of the scenes to do it."

Sinamon whistled shrilly, Hiei flying down to silence her, "Hey, she's awakening…"

"I know. I can hear," he replied, cutting her off.

"So what's the plan?" Kuwabara asked.

Yusuke shrugged, "I don't know, but we have to stop them."

Sinamon nodded, "Let's split up. Hiei, you keep watch outside. Kurama, Kikiyo, and Kuwabara search the two upper floors. The rest of us will search the bottom two."

They nodded, separating into their groups and hurrying to search the building. It helped that Sinamon had been in charge of a Kitsune Army for the last portion of her life or they would have been stuck trying to devise a plan that would work. As they hurried through the school, they knew it was for the best that the young girl commands them.

"Miss. Minamino, freeze," a voice yelled down the hall as Sinamon skidded to a halt.

"Mr. Takanaka, nice to see you," she tried the innocent ploy.

Mr. Takanaka was a teacher at Sarayashiki High. The students had no idea how he got the job with his deep loathing of children. His hair was a dark brown and sleeked back with grease. His skin was a pasty brown and wrinkled. His eyes were a penetrating brown like dried moss that he used to try and strike fear into the students though failed. Today he wore a cream button-up shirt with an orange tie and matching pants.

"First day back and you're already skipping. You're getting to be as bad as that cockroach, Urameshi."

Yusuke stepped out of the dark, "Yeah, nice to know, old man."

Sinamon jumped as an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back.

A deep voice that belonged to Hiei whispered, "The boy is here. Outside with two others."

Sinamon cursed loudly, ignoring Takanaka, "Alright, go get the others." She turned to Yusuke and Han, "Guys, we have to be ready. Three of them are here. It seems the Crystal may be here as well."

Yusuke nodded, "So we stalk and destroy."

Han smacked him, "No, we capture them. Prince KoEnma and Lord Inari can decide their fate."

Takanaka laughed, "You three believe you're fighting some ultimate force? I had better get you away from here before you endanger the other students."

Sinamon growled, flinging her arm back, her hand balled in a fist. She struck Takanaka hard, his body flying into the wall with a resounding boom.

"I always wanted to do that," she smiled to the other two, shaking her fist slightly.

With a wince, she unfolded her hand before motioning the others ahead of her as they hurried to find the others.

Yoshi sat in a desolate shed, the Crystal sitting before him. He lightly rubbed the exterior, studying it closely.

"Yoshi, love. When will I be out?" Tamamo's voice echoed in his head.

He leaned back, allowing himself to be drawn inside his own mind. Tamamo was relaxed in a hot spring, the mists dancing across the surface. Yoshi lowered himself inside, allowing Tamamo to cuddle to his side. Her long gold hair floated over the water, her golden orbs hidden behind pale eyelids.

"Love, I wish to be out. I do hate this dreadful prison. If it were not for you, I would have died," she whispered, her cool breath tickling his chest.

He rubbed a hand through her hair whispering, "Tonight. That I promise."

She leaned back, staring into his red depths, "You know I love you."

Yoshi nodded as she leaned in, her mouth closing over his. She ran her claws up his neck, feeling sensual in truth. He smiled mischievously as he slid his tongue into her mouth. She pulled back a moment later, straddling his lap as she played with his hair.

"Yoshi, you should go. I want to save myself until I'm in a body."

He nodded sadly, whispering, "I love you," as he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Sinamon slammed into Hiei as she flew around the corner. She gasped for breath, trying to recover after having the wind knocked out of her. Kurama caught Kikiyo before she ran into them, pulling her to his chest. He stared down into her eyes, wishing to see into her heart.

Sinamon clung to Hiei for a moment, gasping in need for breath. He rubbed two fingers up and down her back, calming her and opening her airways. She took a deep breath, resting her forehead against his shoulder. It seemed as if they had been together for years, knowing how to calm her when she had her breath knocked out of her. She sighed, her grip on his arms lightening though she remained in his arms. He made no move, either, except to pull her closer slightly.

"Thanks a lot," she whispered though knowing Hiei would hear her.

Yusuke stopped and began laughing, "Jeez, you guys should wait before you start making out. We've got a mission to complete."

Sinamon and Hiei jumped apart, nearly colliding with the others; Kurama let Kikiyo go unwillingly.

"The play begins in twenty minutes, we've got to hurry."

Kurama nodded, listening to Kuwabara, "Where can they be?"

Sinamon shrugged saying quietly, "I don't know but when Takanaka wakes up, I'm dead."

Kurama shook his head, "I gave him a seed. He won't remember anything."

Kikiyo growled, shaking her head, "I have decided to go back to Youkai."

The others nodded, Sinamon smiling, "Alright, but don't get noticed as a Youkai. We have enough problems to worry about."

It was true but no one seemed to notice. If they had, they would have noticed the others as well, would have felt the energy radiating from the others.

Yoshi looked down upon the stage; the students beginning the act that he needed. He motioned the others to get into position, his eyes landing on the Crystal set before him.

"Now, my love, you will join me."

He stood, his power radiating throughout the room. Others glanced up and scrambled out from under him in fear.

"Keep the Spirit Detectives away! We must complete the ritual!"

His men, fighting to keep the students at bay, guarded each exit.

The only sign that the Spirit Detectives were there was when Boka, Yoshi's guard's men, fell, his chest cut open. A moment later Sinamon appeared, her katana glistening from the blood of her fallen enemy.

Yoshi continued to feed energy into the Crystal and began to chant the spell to unlock Tamamo, "Waken the evil, the darkness within…"

"Quick, somebody get him!" Han yelled fighting off three thugs.

Sinamon made to move but was grabbed from behind, a knife digging into her skin. Hiei suddenly moved through the crowd and struck down the man holding Sinamon before continuing towards Yoshi.

"Embodied in Beauty. Embedded in stone. Awaken and exact your revenge!!"

Hiei slammed into Yoshi just as he finished, throwing them both to the ground. All commotion froze as the hollow laughter of Tamamo-No-Mae filled the room; the air froze with people's palpable fear.

"I will never be beaten! Now this world will be mine!" she yelled, her body clothed in black as her hair cascaded down her back.

Yoshi took the distraction as a sign and shoved a needle into Hiei's gut, feeling some blood seep out onto his hand. He quickly injected the drug into Hiei's system before yanking the syringe from his stomach.

"Tamamo, love, I have done as you asked," he called.

She glanced from him to Hiei who was clenching his abs in pain, his face contorted into a mask of agony.

"Come, let us leave this place."

Yoshi floated to her and allowed himself to be encased in her arms. In a flash of brilliant black light, they disappeared.

Sinamon ran over to Hiei, the others close behind. She knelt in front of him, ignoring the stares. Ripping open Hiei's shirt, she found no wound, yet the muscles were in obvious stress. She pressed her hands onto his stomach, ignoring the shock that ran through her body. Hiei tried to pry her hands off but Yusuke grabbed his wrists, pinning them to the floor.

"Come on, Hiei! Work with me here!" She yelled, feeling the eyes of the students that had known her in school staring at her.

Kurama and Kuwabara were moving the students from the room, trying to clear it for when they could get a portal to the school. Sinamon quickly wiped at her eyes, seeing the tears begin to blind her.

"Quick, let's get him to KoEnma! This could be serious!"

Kurama hoisted Hiei onto his shoulder and turned to run when Takanaka stopped him.

"You delinquents are staying. The police will like to meet you."

Kikiyo, Sinamon, and Han all nodded to one another and stepped towards him. Kikiyo and Sinamon on either side of Han. In an instant, they all drew small daggers and placed them to his skin.

Sinamon spoke, the anger and fear unmasked in her voice, "No, you listen here. That is my partner on the floor there. We will be leaving to save him. Now. Step. Aside."

He drew back in fear, backing into the wall without noticing as they drew back though keeping the daggers in hand.

KoEnma slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes groggily as he fumbled for the communicator on his bedside table.

"Hello?" he asked, opening his eyes to see Sinamon.

"KoEnma, open a portal in Sarayashiki Junior High! Preferably the auditorium! And get a Doctor! Hiei's down!"

KoEnma nodded, hurrying from the room to do as requested, "What of Tamamo?"

"She got away! So did the others! Now hurry!"

He shut the device, slamming down keys as he manually opened the portal, Dr. Itchio standing beside him.

"Quickly, we've got to get him checked over," Dr. Itchio said urgently.

Sinamon motioned them to set him down, moving everyone back as the doctor worked quickly.

"What happened?" KoEnma asked concerned.

Yusuke spoke quietly, leaning in so KoEnma could hear him, "With Hiei, I don't know. He tackled the leader, Yoshi or something. Then he was clutching his stomach in pain."

KoEnma nodded, "We'll debrief once Hiei's alright." Casting a sideways glance at Sinamon, he declared, "He will be alright. Now the rest of you, clean up."

Sinamon did not notice the others leaving, all her attention was on Hiei, even if the doctor had said everything was fine. Blood had caked onto her skin, tinting it a reddish color.

She clasped his hand, lightly shaking his shoulder, "Hiei? Come on, wake up."

He laid unmoving, his chest steadily rising and falling.

"Come on, we're all waiting for you."

She stared down at him, trying to keep the anger at bay. She knew he would never do this unless something was seriously wrong but that didn't mean he had to lie there looking as if he were dead.

Finally giving up, she shook him roughly, "Damn it, Hiei! I haven't lost a partner yet and you won't be the first!"

She hit his shoulder, pulling her knees to her chest as dry tears fell invisibly. She would never let herself cry, not like this, not when everyone said he would be all right.

_Sinamon, stop being a child_, a voice echoed in her head. _You're my reincarnation. The boy is fine. Now put your damn Ningen feelings aside_.

She remained in the same position until she felt a hand squeeze hers. Her eyes flew open, staring at her hand that Hiei's was still clasped in. She met his eyes, unfocused though they were; she felt a smile spread across her face. She squeezed his hand back while waiting for his words.

"There's… no way… that Ningen… could kill me," he whispered as his eyes trained on her, focusing with some effort.

"Good, I don't like weak partners," she pulled her hand back before continuing, "Now if you don't mind, I have blood to get off my person."

Hiei watched her leave before laying back in defeat, letting his weak body slip back into the lonely abyss of sleep. It had been her that had drawn him to the surface, the tears of her soul calling to him. He would have been fine as it were, the pain had subsided minutes after they had arrived but he knew his body needed sleep. When she had talked to him even though he was unconscious, he could hear every word, every emotion that was buried deep in her. He could not let her suffer for him. It was strange but he knew she needed to know he was all right. With that wish granted, he let his mind rest as well.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Sinamon was the last to join the others in Prince KoEnma's office. Lord Inari soon entered with Lady Nonomiko, the otherwise happy couple now both distressed.

Lord Inari looked at them before speaking quietly, "Han, Kikiyo, Sinamon. Come with me."

The three girls glanced at each other before following him down the hall. He shut the heavy oak doors heavily, the anger tainting his aura red.

"How did this happen?" he asked quietly, his voice rising as he turned towards them, "How could you not stop them? They were weak Ningens, nothing more." The girl's remained silent, watching him, "Answer me!"

Sinamon, finally having enough, stepped forward, "What happened is over and done. We didn't stop her but we will. There's no way she can beat us again."

Lord Inari's fist clenched as he stared at Sinamon, eyes like hard gold jewels, glinting maliciously.

"Han, Kikiyo, go."

The two girls gave Sinamon a sympathetic glance before leaving the room. Silence followed as the two continued to stare at each other. With each passing second, his anger grew in momentum.

"How could you?! I trusted you to defeat them! Yet you let them get away!"

Lord Inari shoved Sinamon roughly into the brick wall, the hard rock grinding into her back. She hissed in pain, struggling against his hold, feeling the skin begin to break on her back.

"I worked with a team, I helped people I hate. You tell me what I did wrong?" she spat back in his face.

He raised his hand and backhanded her across the face, flinging her to the ground.

"Do not talk to me with such disrespect. I could do away with you easily."

Sinamon spit the metallic liquid out, keeping her back to the god.

"I … I'll do better. I won't let her live long enough to tarnish the Kitsune name."

Lord Inari turned, stopping just in the doorway, "What makes you think I'll give you another chance."

Sinamon leaned back on the wall, the last sentence running through her head, slowly driving her soul into a depression of guilt. He had never said he trusted her to prevent this from happening; he had only assigned her to a team. She should have guessed that he would put her in charge even though Han had been on the Council of Elders that helped decide the fate of many. He trusted his heart more so than anything else. It was her fault whether she knew or not. She had people that depended on her and she had let them down.

She would never be able to survive, to live with herself if anything happened to Shiori or even her friends from school, though they were far and little. They would trust her to save them, to make sure nothing happened to them even though they knew nothing of the life that awaited them. The wonderful life that was filled with happiness and joy. They only knew of what they had and were content to live with it even if there was more. With a sigh, she hung her head in despair. It was her fault and would always be so no matter what she did. Tamamo got away and she was the only one to blame.

Han and Kikiyo went back to the meeting with Prince KoEnma, Lady Nonomiko, and the Spirit Detectives. They stood by the door, nervously glancing into the hall to see if Sinamon was coming. They both felt like something had happened and it did not feel good.

"Do you have any idea where they could have gone?" Lady Nonomiko asked the group.

"We won't know until they make a move," KoEnma answered sadly, the guilt palpable from the others in the room.

Nonomiko smiled at them, trying to lift their spirits, "You all did wonderful in finding them. I'm sure you can do so again."

They nodded, defeat still shining in their eyes. It was as if they had been responsible for the worlds, responsible in keeping the worlds turning. She sighed, placing a hand lightly on the nearest Spirit Detectives that just happened to be Kurama.

"Come now, all of you. These are not the faces I wish to see when I look at a room full of handsome young men. I want smiles, and flirting from all of you."

KoEnma gave her a slight smile, watching the others smile slightly as well. It was easy to tell they were forced but at least they had something from them. She sighed, pulling her hand back.

"All right, I'm going to go find Inari. Good day to you all."

Lord Inari stormed into a side room and slammed his fist into the wall in anger. He punched again, feeling the flesh rip on his knuckles as he tried to drive it deeper into the wall.

_If I can't have you, no one will_, he thought.

He slowly slid down the wall in defeat, letting his head rest against rough cement.

"Why can't you just love me? I've always cared for you, been there for you," he whispered to himself.

For the first time in a few centuries, a tear slipped from the golden eye of the fox god. It fell to his hand, startling the god from his thoughts. He had never cried, not even when she had been raped and ran since he knew she would return to him. Now she was hurt and it was his fault.

He had placed the blame on her and knew it belonged to the gods and goddess' that had placed such a case on the shoulders of mere Ningens. Even if they had been Kitsune or Youkai before, they still did not have enough power to perform the tasks needed of them.

If he had thought through what he was doing, he would have realized that in putting Hiei and Sinamon together they were bound to fall in love. He had promised her that much, he had meant to fulfill it as well. He just hadn't realized how much it would hurt to see her, watch her care about another. To watch her worry over him when he was fine, it had nearly ripped his heart out. Gods had to be strong. He pushed his thoughts aside, rubbing his face to rid himself of any evidence the offending tear had come from him. With that, he walked from the room.

.

Sinamon slipped into the Ningenkai undetected by Prince KoEnma or his men. She stopped at the first bar she came to, planting herself at the bar. She didn't care if she was underage, no one would know and if they asked, she had the power to make them see her as older.

"Give me something hard. Give me some vodka or something," she said absentmindedly as the bartender scrutinized her.

"You have a rough day, huh? Been lots of thin's goin' on 'round here. Hear 'bout somethin' at that school. People sayin' Youkai or somethin'."

Sinamon groaned, laying her head down, "Just give me the damn drink."

He shrugged, placing the glass in front of her, "You want the bottle?"

She nodded as she gulped the whiskey down.

He whistled at her as she slammed the now empty glass on the counter, "Nice one."

Sinamon sighed, snatching the bottle up as she began downing large amounts of alcohol. It was nothing to a Kitsune, they could get drunk when they wanted and she truly wanted to do so.

With that in mind, she thought she might be able to drown away her guilt if it were even possible.

Yusuke shook his head, "Man, I'm heading to a bar. I need a drink to forget this for a while."

The others nodded, even the sensible Kurama agreeing to go with them to get drunk. Hiei hung back for a moment, finally deciding to go with them to get drunk in the Ningenkai. He had hoped to find Sinamon, find out what it was that Inari had done to chase her away but her energy signature was nowhere in the Reikai. He sighed, following them out.

They all sat at a booth, Han and Kikiyo sitting away from the others as they quietly talked to the other.

"Man, how could we lose to them? They aren't all that powerful," Yusuke whined.

The bartender brought over four beers and set them down.

"We tried, Urameshi. And we will beat them next time," Kuwabara said, getting up to order something with more alcohol quantity.

He returned a moment later with four bottles of rum.

"Here guys, this stuff is better."

They each took one, Hiei taking a gulp of it as he relaxed into the seat, his eyes wandering over the bar. He missed Sinamon, his mind not realizing exactly why he thought he needed this. He had never gotten drunk before, it impaired his judgment and that was one thing he was never willing to risk doing incase someone decided to try and kill him. For some reason, he felt safe in the Ningenkai, safe enough to relax and get drunk with his partners.

Sinamon sighed as she drained her sixth bottle of Vodka.

The bartender, Matt, watched for any sign that she was going to pass out, "You can really hold 'em down."

She swirled the clear liquid around before looking up, "Ya know, I's got to learn me's place in societies. Not be a bad persons."

He nodded, cleaning a glass, "I think you're a great person. Jus' drink a lot."

She let her head rest on her hand, her eyes focusing on some far off place.

"I's deserve to be hit. I's not supposed to talk backs to 'im. Inari's me friend, I thunk, thights, thought."

"I think you had too much. I'll let you get the room upstairs if you want."

Sinamon shook her head, tittering slightly as she moved from the bar to a booth. No one was going to tell her she had had enough unless she passed out. As it was, her plan was failing. She couldn't seem to get anything Inari had said out of her mind. She took another gulp as she slouched into the booth, her head resting on the back. No one cared what she thought anyway; they only cared if she was unable to perform her duty as a Spirit Detective, a Forbidden Child.

She glared at nothing in particular as the name resounded in her head. No one had called her a Forbidden Child since her death but those that had had learned their mistake quickly. Even so, she found just thinking the name was enough to make her want to kill something. She sighed, relaxing as she drained the bottle.

Yusuke hiccupped as he smiled to the others, "And then… Hiei got shot by somethin'."

They laughed, Hiei trying to set the bottle back onto the table though failing. It fell onto Kurama's lap. He seemed to be the only one not dramatically affected by the alcohol.

Hiei looked at Kuwabara, "You loved my sister, huh? I'm bringing her back. Then we'll all be happy."

Kuwabara nodded, downing another bottle, "I miss her. She was awesome."

Yusuke nudged Hiei, smiling mischievously, "So you like Sinamon?"

Hiei nodded then shook his head, "I want to sleep with her. She's… I

don't know."

Yusuke laughed, "Yep, you two look good together. Must be love… Kurama, what of you and Kikiyo?"

Kurama smiled dreamily, "I love her. She's the best and deserves the world." He glanced over his shoulder and turned back quickly saying, "Shush, the evil mutant ducks are coming for me."

Yusuke nodded, leaning back gently. Everyone was easy to crack when they were drunk.

Luckily for him, he drank enough to know when to stop and how to act like he was. He wasn't learning anything he didn't already know. The way Hiei and Sinamon looked at each other was enough to tell him they liked each other. Anyone could tell that, they were too oblivious to know the looks that filled their eyes as they glanced at each other when they thought no one was watching. He had been that way at one time but he liked to have them admit it more so to themselves then him.

Sinamon stumbled around, becoming restless as the alcohol moved through her system. She suddenly noticed Kuwabara on the bar starting to strip while trying to sing 'I'm a Slave For You' by Brittany Spears.

The three others drew her attention when they howled at Kuwabara, laughing as Matt pushed him off the counter to land on his face. She sat down next to Kurama, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Is me's a bad persons?" she asked.

Kurama turned to her and shook his head, "No, you're not. You're the best little sister ever."

Sinamon smiled at that, turning her attention to the others.

"So ever kiss Sin?" Yusuke asked, seemingly not noticing Sinamon sitting across from them. He knew she was there and couldn't help asking what everyone had been talking about when they were gone.

"Yeps. Sort of. I kissed her to get her mind off it but she didn't kiss me back."

Yusuke shrugged, picking up his bottle again to down the little liquid left.

Sinamon suddenly crawled over the table and stared Hiei in the eyes, shocking him.

"What're you doing here?" he whispered.

Sinamon moved so she was straddling Hiei's lap and said, "This."

She kissed him, her tongue easily penetrating his soft lips. The taste of Rum assaulted her taste buds as he began to respond to her touches. She was suddenly jerked back by Kurama.

"Okay, you two are done making out. Let's get going."

Sinamon shook her head, rolling off of Hiei's lap. She quickly made her way over to Han ad Kikiyo. She pulled up a chair and smiled.

Though it did not last long by the look on Han's face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked concerned, the alcohol completely draining from her body as she gazed at her friends upset face, the old tears streaks showing in the dim light.

Kikiyo answered for her, "Han overheard Kikyana and Botan talking about her. I don't know what they said but she's been like this for a while."

Sinamon nodded, "Hey Han, what did they say?"

Han took a drink of beer, her eyes unfocused, "Same thing everyone always say. 'She doesn't care about anything' or 'Cold-heartless bitch.'" She looked up at Sinamon, "Do you think I don't care about anyone?"

Sinamon shook her head, "No, Han. I can see it in your eyes."

Han nodded, "Damn straight. They said I could never love anyone. Well, I did…do. I mean sure, I don't know where he is but that doesn't mean I don't love him."

Kikiyo shook her head, "Yeah, Kurama's right in front of me, but I won't accept it's him. I guess I'm the cold-heartless one."

"Neither of you two are. Just sometimes hardheaded. Nothing big," Sinamon replied with a shrug.

"It wasn't my fault though. He had an evil side that I couldn't conquer," Han slowly grew quiet.

Yusuke laid his head on the table, watching the room swirl around him.

"Yusuke? Are you alright?" Kuwabara asked, shocking the others when he used Yusuke's first name.

He nodded, feeling tired as the alcohol began to wear off.

Hiei suddenly sat up straight, glancing around, "Where's Sin? I need to talk to her."

Kurama shook his head as he pushed Hiei back down, "Relax, Lover Boy. You can talk to her later. When you're sober."

Hiei nodded, his eyes sliding closed as he fell asleep, his body slouching over onto the table.

Kuwabara shrugged, "These guys just can't take alcohol like a man. Like us. Or Sin for that matter."

Kurama shrugged in return, he had already made himself sober incase they needed a ride home, "We should be heading back soon."

Kuwabara nodded, finishing another mug. He knew what Kurama had in mind for a ride and could only hope that Shiori was in a good mood.

Sinamon touched Han's shoulder, "Tell us what happened."

Han sighed but then nodded, "Okay but it's kinda long."

Kikiyo smiled, "We've got a while. Go ahead."

Han took a deep breath to begin the story she had kept to herself all her life. No one knew of her past, until she had told Sinamon when they were trapped in the dungeons together that she was a Youkai everyone believed she was a Ningen. She did look quite Ningen but the pointed ears gave her away, or so she had thought. If the Ningens hadn't started dying their hair absurd colors, it would have been easier to see that she was a Youkai. She remained silent, trying to collect her thoughts, trying to find a good place to begin without confusing them.

If they wanted to know how she had learned to cope with life, life that is without Spyk, then she was willing to tell them. She could easily lay out what her life had been like if they had had enough time to spend on it but as it was, she knew they had to return soon. They were needed to complete the mission.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Han took a drink again, letting the beer flow down her throat, "Spyk was the best when we first met, but then things… changed."

Sinamon raised her eyebrows, setting down another beer for Han, "How d'you mean changed?"

Kikiyo kicked her under the table, glaring, "Shut up and let her tell us the story."

Sinamon smiled sheepishly but fell silent as if she had never said anything in the first place. Han nodded, staring off into space as her memories caught up with her.

**Flashback**

"Ow," Han said as she was slammed into the wall.

Spyk stood over her, holding her down. She tried to squirm away but he was too strong; she tried to look him in the eyes but his eyes were too piercing so she looked away.

"I know what you want," he said, his breathe hot on her neck.

"Wrong," she grunted, trying to push him away. He tightened his grip, "It's what you want."

"We both want it," he said as he pulled her body into his.

She tried to push away, but couldn't. She didn't know if it was because she was too weak or because she did want him. He leaned in and kissed her on her neck, drawing her from her thoughts at the pleasurable sensation. The more she resisted, the harder he held her, and so she gave up.

"That's what I thought," he said when he felt her give in.

He sent his hand over her head, knocking off her hat, then down her back. When she knew his attention was shifted from her completely, she pushed him away quickly. She picked up her hat and ran but he was faster than her. He grabbed her by her waist as she tried to run faster. In one smooth motion, he picked her up and kissed the back of her neck.

"Don't fight it," he said in a calm voice.

"Let me go," she said, trying to pull his hands off her.

He growled, throwing her to the floor with such force she was rendered unconscious.

When she awoke, she was in a dungeon, chained to the wall. She was too tired to try and get away; she just sat there on the cold dungeon floor waiting for someone to rescue her.

A light poured in as the door opened. As she feared, he, Spyk, stepped in. She looked away; she could not stand the sight of him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he walked down the steps.

She did not reply; she did not want to. She wanted to be set free and go where she wanted, live like she wanted.

He knelt down in front of her. She could not look at him. Not only because he was evil but also because he looked so good. He wore baggy pants with chains falling from every pocket and no shirt. He was thin but muscular. He had green hair that matched hers. She did not like it.

He put his hand under her chin and turned her head so she was looking at him.

"We're made to be," he said.

He leaned in and kissed her. She could not stand it. She was defenseless and unable to resist. All she could do was kiss him back though she could not complain. He was good, especially with his tongue ring. They continued to kiss for a while.

She loved him, she did but she hated the Youkai inside him. It caused him to be abusive and hateful but there was not anything she could do.

When they stopped, he sat down beside her. He laid his head in her lap and closed his eyes.

"Can we stay like this?" he asked, looking up at her.

She smiled and nodded. She wanted to ruffle his hair but could not since she was chained to the wall. She wanted to bend down and kiss him but she could not. Instead she just let him lay there and go to sleep. The real him, not the Youkai.

"I'm sorry," Spyk whispered as he laid there.

"I know," she said softly.

He sat up and leaned against the wall beside her. He leaned his head on her shoulder and said nothing. She looked down at him as he looked up at her. He lifted up his head and kissed her lightly on his lips.

"I love you, I do," he said putting his head back on her shoulder. "I don't wanna hurt you. I try not to but he does."

"I know," she said looking into his orange eyes. When the Youkai came out, his eyes turned red but they were orange right now so she knew it was him. "Don't worry, I know."

He smiled at her, a smile that said he knew she was telling the truth. He stood up and pulled out a key from one of his many pockets. After he unchained her, he helped her up. He hugged her tight, holding her close to him.

"I'm sorry," he said as he cried, "I don't wanna hurt you again."

"I know," she said, hugging him back, "I love you, too. I know you don't mean to."

He took her up the stairs and out of the dungeon. They sat down together on a couch. She hugged him tight, knowing soon he would be gone. He held her head on his shoulder for he too knew he would soon be gone.

"Trist," he whispered in her ear, "do you promise to always love me? Always? Even when I turn Youkai?"

She looked at him. She did not say anything for a while.

Finally in a harsh voice, she whispered, "I will always love you. Remember, I promised. We were at the beach after we dyed our hair. I promised to love you."

"Yeah, I remember," he sighed. "That was back when we were only 50. It's been almost 25 years since then. I miss those days."

"Me too," she said snuggling closer to him. "But I'm glad I still have you."

She looked at him to see if he was smiling like her. She went to kiss him but noticed his eyes were blank.

She jumped up off of the couch. She knew right away what was happening. She ran for the door, but looked back to see him before she left. That was a mistake. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. He spun her around, pulling her body to his.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked before inserting his tongue in her mouth.

She tried to push him off, but could not. She wanted to run, but she cared about him and wanted to help him.

She fought back as he tried to drag her into the other room. She did the only thing she could. She pulled out her stiletto and slashed him under the eye. When she looked at him, it looked like he was crying blood. The sight of him "crying" made her fall to the floor.

She cried harder as she allowed him to take her away. She knew what would happen next.

She woke up, tired and sore. She felt disgusted and used. She wanted to sleep and never wake up. She loved Spyk, she really did. However, she could not stand his demon.

She got up and dressed. With her clothes on, she found a note scribbled in Spyk's handwriting.

It read:

I'm sorry. You know I am. I love you. I want to be with you.

If you leave me, I understand.

Who would want to live with me anyway? I will miss you forever.

I will always love you and I hope you will always love me.

Love,

Spyk

"I will," she said, stuffing the note in her pocket. She gathered all her stuff together, getting ready to leave. She sat on the couch waiting for him to come home before she left. She only hoped he would be himself and not the demon.

"Trist," his voice said as the door opened.

She ran over to meet him. She hugged him tightly knowing it would be the last. She did not let go so he carried her over to the couch. She sat on his lap as he told her about his day at work.

He always had it hard. It was hard for him to interact with Ningens.

"Spyk," she said placing her head on his shoulder, "I read your note."

"I'm sorry," he interrupted, "I'm so sorry. I love you. I would never hurt you. Please forgive me."

"Don't I always," she said kissing him on the cheek. "But you said something about me leaving."

"No, I love you," he hurriedly added in, "I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't want to hurt you."

"I have to go," she said very quickly.

"What?" he asked surprised, looking down at her.

"It's not that," she said sitting up. "I love you too, I love you so much. I just hate it when you go back normal and you feel so guilty about what you did. I don't want you to be like that. I love you so much. I just wanna let you be so you don't feel guilty. It hurts me to see you like that."

Spyk did not say one thing. He stood up and put his hands on his hips. He turned to look at her.

"It's my selfishness that wants you to stay. I love you and don't want to hurt you so you're right. You should go."

She stood up and stood next to him. She put her hand on his arm, she did not want to leave him but she had to.

"Hurry up. Before it's too late."

She turned around to grab her things but he grabbed her by the waist. She turned back around as he kissed her. At first she though it was too late but then realized that this kiss was passionate, that there was love in this kiss.

She wrapped her arms around him. They kissed for what seemed a lifetime. It was an awesome feeling, standing there together with their tongues exchanged.

He pulled away and turned around. He did not want to see her leave. She left that day, never to return.

**End Flashback**

"It's been almost 100 years since then," Han finished her story to Kikiyo and Sinamon. "And his face still haunts my dreams. A hot face but still a haunting one."

Kikiyo wiped her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Sinamon, however, had begun drinking again, burying her depression under the alcohol.

"So how do cards come into the sequence?" Sinamon asked as she sat her tenth bottle down.

"I took up card games to ease the pain. But I found that didn't work. There was still a part of me that couldn't forget him, a part of me that didn't want to forget him. Even now, it's the same. The same feelings of loss, of misery like I'm being stabbed a thousand times by dull needles. Then I'm left there to bleed alone," Han explained with much thought.

"Wow," Kikiyo exclaimed. "That hurts worse than what I went through. At least Kurama always treated me right and I knew he loved me…"

"Spyk loved, loves me. I know he does," Han interrupted, feeling more than a little uncertain.

"I'm sure he does, Han," Sinamon said quietly, laying her head on her arms as she sadly thought of her past.

She never knew love like the other two. There had been people that wanted her but that was her fate for being a Forbidden One. No one had tried to get to know her; no one except Inari but he was like a father to her after her real one was murdered. Kurama had found love not only in Kikiyo but if he so chose to, he could have been deeply loved by his partner, Kuronue. The man had been thoroughly loyal to Kurama even when he knew Kurama was in love with Kikiyo.

She sighed. There were some thing's that she was always missing out on and love was probably one of them. How could someone love her when she didn't even know what love was? Inari had tried to teach her but even he had failed like everyone else. The only thing she knew was how to fight and order people around, how to kill. That had been her life and still was somewhat. It wasn't as if she wanted love but it had always been a dream of hers just to feel it, to see what it was about love that made people so happy.

Botan flew down into the alley beside the bar and dematerialized her oar. A clatter caught her attention as a young boy of around 11 came out from behind the dumpster smiling sheepishly.

"Hello, I hope I didn't scare you," he said quietly.

She backed up a step, "You can see me?"

He nodded, looking about nervously.

"Oh, hi. I'm Botan. Come with me and I'm sure my boss, KoEnma will give you a job."

His smile broadened, "Okay but … can I tell you a secret?"

Botan nodded, drawing a little closer to the child.

He leaned in and whispered, "I'm going to kill you."

She gasped as a sharp pain ripped through her abdomen.

"You're… You're…" she stuttered out between gasps.

"Tamamo's loyal servant," Niri finished for her.

He twisted the blade so it cut deeper before ripping it out. The blood thoroughly coated the front of her dress as she fell to the dirt, her eyes staring vacantly at him as she gave her last breath. He quickly checked for a pulse before carving the sign of Tamamo, a star in flames on her forehead.

"Here, KoEnma, is your final warning."

He looked down sadly at the body, he never really wanted to kill but he had to. There was nothing else for him except death and he didn't want to die either. If he could keep Tamamo happy, she would make sure he was all right; make sure that he never died. If he failed her though, he knew the only consequence would be death. He wouldn't die because if he did, he knew he would be sent to the Makai where all those he killed would be waiting for him.

It also didn't help that he wasn't that strong either. He could brandish almost any weapon but he was weak when it came to anything else. He had never been a fast runner, he had never learned to care for anything except his life and that was even hard to do when you met people that tried to help you. He knew that whether the Ferrygirl had helped him or not, he could never be forgiven for all those he had killed.

Shiori pulled up outside the bar after receiving the call from Kurama. She hurried in and gasped as she saw Hiei and Yusuke had passed out in a booth while the others were drunk. Sinamon helped Han to the van, both sitting in the furthest seat from the driver. Kurama carried Hiei and sat him next to Sinamon, watching Hiei lean on her and she on him. Kikiyo sat next to Kurama, leaning towards the window instead of on him. Kuwabara and Yusuke sat right behind the driver's seat as Yusuke snored loudly.

"I can't believe this. None of you are old enough to drink. Why would you even consider doing such a thing? I know I've raised two of you better than that. And so you two know, you're grounded for life… At least," Shiori reprimanded.

Sinamon opened an eye before closing it again and snuggled closer to Hiei, letting him lean on her shoulder. Shiori dropped Kuwabara and Yusuke off at Genkai's temple before driving back to their house.

"Han and Kikiyo will share a room while Kurama and Hiei share another. Now all of you, to bed. It's after 11."

Shiori had set up a cot in both rooms before she went to pick them up so it would be easier to put them all to bed. She helped Kikiyo get Han upstairs to the guest room, Kikiyo collapsing on the cot in exhaustion after putting Han to bed.

Kurama placed Hiei on the cot beside his bed, watching his best friend snuggle into the blanket in his drunken slumber. He left to carry Sinamon to bed as she had fallen asleep next to Hiei.

Shiori had not wasted a moment to get a picture of the two. He laid her in her bed, smiling down at the girl who had always been his little sister in both his lives. Even though she had been taught to kill and had brutally done so, he could never get the picture of how she looked when she had been three out of his head. She had found a butterfly in the fields behind their cottage and caught it. Of course, she had said it landed on her arm while she was picking flowers but even if he could tell the butterfly had a broken leg, he pretended to believe her.

She had been so young and innocent, but then their parents had been murdered and right in front of her too. Even though she had acted as if it didn't affect her, after that she had changed, she had become a monster of sorts. Something about her used to scare him and then he had found out she controlled the conflicting elements, Fire and Ice. It had been scary to watch his sister bring forth a dragon that could have easily destroyed the Makai if not controlled properly. He sighed, the past was the past and should be left that way.

Finally he left to go to bed, feeling exhaustion grip its tendrils around him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Sinamon snuggled closer to the warmth; sleepily knowing something was not right but unable to figure out what it was. She could hear Kurama ask Shiori if she could stay home, saying she would have a hangover though her Kitsune side took care of that.

Someone groaned next to her, startling her from her sleep. She sat up quickly, staring down at the sleeping form next to her.

"Hiei? What are you doing here?" she whispered.

She took a calming breath, seeing his chest muscles ripple as he snuggled to her side, burying his face in her stomach.

"Hiei?! Wake up!" she whispered harshly.

He blinked slowly before looking up at Sinamon. He smirked, stretching by her side as he eyed her.

"Couldn't resist me, huh?" he said gently.

Sinamon sighed, realizing Hiei was still drunk from the previous night.

"Great, just my luck. You just have to be drunk in my…. bed," she whispered to herself.

Hiei pushed her back down, clamping his hand over her mouth, "Shush, your mom might hear."

Sinamon narrowed her eyes and shoved him off of her. A second later, Kurama came in and carried Hiei out, him winking at Sinamon.

Niri knelt before the set of thrones, one occupied by the beautiful Kitsune, Tamamo, the other by Yoshi. She regarded him before chuckling, drawing everyone's attention.

"Niri, do not think I can not see what you hide away. Even they would be disappointed in you.

Why did you fail to kill those after your leader? You are faithful, are you not?" she criticized.

Niri remained silent but nodded slightly, enraging Tamamo further.

"Answer me when I question you!"

Still he remained silent, not daring to look into her eyes so she could further invade his memories he had locked away. No one deserved to know what he had gone through before joining Yoshi.

"Guards, take care of him. Only slightly though, we still have use for him," she ordered the two men standing near the doorway.

They smirked, dragging Niri away though the boy still refused to say a word. He knew what was coming; it had been that way for a few days. She was angered that KoEnma was gaining ground and closing in on finding her. Just like everyone else she feared something; her fear was that she would be destroyed and sent the Makai or worse Meikai.

.

KoEnma sat quietly, listening to the report before nodding, "I'll get Sinamon to help. She'll donate some ice to her."

He leaned back happily, knowing the team would soon be reunited. The door suddenly flew open, Ayame running in with tears streaming down her cheeks

"KoEnma, sir, it's Botan. She's…" she broke down into hysterical sobs, falling to her knees.

KoEnma ran over and pulled her into his arms, allowing her to cry on his shoulder, "Shush, Ayame. It's going to be all right. Shh, Love."

She slowly stopped crying, though allowing him to still hold her.

"KoEnma, Botan's dead. They found her with Tamamo's signature."

He pulled her tight, feeling the loss of a good friend cut into his heart, "It'll be alright. We'll find her soul and bring her back"

She hugged him back before whispering, "Did you call me 'Love'?"

He froze, his body becoming rigid, "Ayame, once everything was solved, I was going to tell you this, but… Well, for a while now I've been feeling this way. So what I'm trying to say is that I love you."

Ayame smiled sadly, "KoEnma, I feel the same for you, but… Botan is gone and we should wait to start anything."

He nodded, wiping the streams the tears left behind away, "Just say when."

She smiled, allowing herself to relax in his arms as the grief of Botan's tragic death ripped her heart apart slowly. She wouldn't let him know just how much she knew about Ferrygirls and their deaths. When a Ferrygirl or Youkai died, their souls ceased to exist; it was as if they were never real in the first place. In truth, it was a fate worse than death. Only a few Ferrygirls had suffered that fate, more Youkai did though. She had hoped Botan could truly be found but she knew better than to believe that which was impossible.

Sinamon snuck into the Reikai as KoEnma had requested. She kept herself hidden beneath a cloak, her sword strapped to her hip, the rubies of the dragon crested hilt glinting in the harsh sunlight of the desert. She followed closely to the river, letting it lead her to the perimeter of the palace.

KoEnma and George waited for her, also keeping hidden under cloaks.

"No one followed. What's up?" Sinamon whispered, following them through a side door.

"We've been keeping this a secret from the others but we need your help to complete the process," KoEnma explained.

"What do you mean? 'Complete the process'?" she questioned, pushing her way around equipment.

"Yukina was killed but we're in the process of bringing her back. We need the ice you control to bring her back completely."

Sinamon froze, "Yukina is here? Now?"

KoEnma pushed back a curtain, revealing Yukina levitating in the air, no energy signature radiating from the body.

"Are you willing to help or shall I find someone else?" he asked.

Sinamon smiled, pulling up her sleeve, her eyes concentrating onYukina.

"No, I'll do it."

She touched her hand to Yukina's, drawing back slightly when she felt the cold skin. She was doing this not only for Kuwabara but also for the whole team. If she could prove she was important, they would be unable to hate her further. She wanted them to like her and let her join the true Spirit Detectives. She was supposed to be a member of their ranks but after allowing Lord Inari to persuade her into betraying them, she was sure they would never trust her. With a sigh, she grabbed the frozen hand and concentrated on the object at hand.

Niri laid on the floor, his blood creating a small pool around him. It was already drying since his wounds had stopped bleeding. It reminded him of then. The time when he had actually allowed people to hurt him, allowed them to walk over him. He could not understand why he even stayed here. The others were a team while he was just like Yunsung: expendable.

Sometimes he wished they would just kill him so he could be free, but they always stopped before then, just like those before them had always done.

**Flashback**

A younger Niri of six ran from a small apartment. The yelling echoing after him down the street.

He finally collapsed, feeling weak as a tear escaped his eye. They always fought. The people who were supposed to be his family always fought. His father always beat him, calling him a little slut and other things he knew he was not. His mother, she was worse, releasing her frustrations on him in a sexual way.

He knew he could not return for a few hours, knowing even when he did, he would go through living hell. He pulled his jacket tighter, listening for his friend who always helped, though hoping he would not come and see how weak he truly was.

"You know, kid, you could always take care of them," a voice called, a shadowed figure standing just out of sight.

"What do you mean?" Niri questioned curiously.

"Here, figure it out. You're smart," he threw something at Niri, just missing him by an inch, "See you some time."

Niri grabbed the object; turning down the alley, "Wait! What am I …supposed to do?"

The man was gone, leaving Niri to inspect the object. It was long but light. The casing made of some type of scales. The top had a cloth wrapped around it, colored red like blood. He gripped the top and pulled, gasping as it slid open, revealing the sharpened metal of a sword.

His eyes widened, finally understanding what it was he could do. He shoved it under his shirt and ran back towards the house, keeping the weapon as a precaution.

When he returned home, his parents were still fighting, his Mother storming from the room only to return a moment later to grab Niri. He struggled, trying to keep the sword hidden.

"Stop struggling! Your Father needs to know what he's missing out on!" she yelled at him.

His Father though had other ideas as he grabbed Niri's other arm roughly, dislocating it from the socket.

He cried in pain, his eyes going blank, devoid of all emotions. He wrenched his arm away from his mother, his father having let his other go when it dislocated. It was done, he wasn't going to let them hurt him, control him. He sucked in a breath, finding it hard to breath against the pain.

He removed the sword from his jacket and unsheathed it as the anger flowed through his veins.

"Did you think I wouldn't get tired of letting you two have your way? You both don't deserve to live now."

They backed away, their eyes dilated with fear.

"Son, Niri, you really don't want to do this. Come on, we love you. You love us," his Father whispered.

"Bullshit! I may have loved you at one point, but fuck that now!" Niri screamed, holding the sword in one hand.

He drew closer, pinning them against the wall in his anger. He pulled back his arm and swung wildly, hearing for the first time the music that was steel cutting through flesh. The blood splashed him, drawing his eyes opened at the warmth he felt. His parents screamed one last time before falling into their own blood, the pool gathering around his feet as he turned to leave.

He had done it, he had killed them. With a smile, he knew he had liked the feel of their blood falling on his skin.

"Nice job, kid. What's your name?"

"Niri, why?" he responded.

"I'm Yoshi. I want you to join my team."

**End Flashback**

He had always thought the feeling of blood hitting his skin felt good. It made him feel the warmth he could only guess being love gave you. Now he didn't, it made him feel dirty, disgusting and even more; it lowered his thoughts of life. If he could so easily kill others, why did he put up with Yoshi and his lover, Tamamo? He had thought of that for hours on end and knew the one answer. He didn't want to die; he wanted a chance to find love and a family.

He slowly sat up as the pain rippled through his body. Ever since that day, he had kept his emotions bottled inside. He never let anyone know what he really felt, never let himself cry.

Even once he realized he had killed his parents, he would not allow himself to cry. He constantly wondered 'what if they had lived?' But he never thought about it long.

"Niri? Are you alright?" He heard from the door.

Without looking up, he knew it was Spyk. He always acted like Niri's older brother. He was another reason Niri refused to kill himself. Spyk had taken care of him all his life. Spyk had already been working for Yoshi when Niri joined and had taken it upon himself to make sure Niri was never hurt.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Of betrayal?"

Niri looked up, still emotionless, "Sometimes I think you can read my mind."

Spyk put his vest around Niri's shoulders, "Why don't you?"

Niri looked up, "Would you help me? I need to get to KoEnma's without them knowing."

Spyk nodded, "I have some friends who can get you there."

Niri lightly smiled, letting his cold exterior break for the first time in five years. As he did, he stared at Spyk and felt the first tears begin to fall from his eyes. Spyk knelt in front of the young boy and hugged him tightly. As he felt his own eyes begin to fill with tears, he held the boy tighter, his eyes closing to lock the tears away. He hadn't cried since the day he had chased

Han off, now this little boy was able to almost bring it out.

"Come on, kid. We'll get you home and help you to find somewhere to go."

Niri looked at him, "They're going to kill me. I know it, I deserve it."

Spyk picked him up easily, "Not if I can help it, I'm going to get you some place where no one can hurt you and you can grow up like a normal kid."

He already had a place in mind without even truly thinking it through. Only one thing kept running through his head as he carried him from the room.

_I wonder what Han will think?_

It was the last thing as he pushed through the secret passageway to get out into the world. His friends would get Niri to KoEnma and make sure the Prince didn't get rid of or hurt the little boy. He was going to keep the boy from anyone that could possibly hurt him. Show him what life was really meant to be like and show him what love was. If possible, he would help the boy find a girl his own age to fall in love with.

Hiei shook his head, the last affects of the alcohol wearing off. He remembered every last thing that had occurred the night before and mentally blushed as he pictured Sinamon kissing him.

_Speaking of Sinamon_, he thought as he left Kurama's room to find her.

He opened her door, finding it empty and decided to find Kurama. As it turned out, no one was home so he quickly scribbled a note only Youkai could comprehend before leaving.

He entered the Reikai almost seconds later and froze as he felt Sinamon's signature. He raced in the direction it was coming from as he felt it begin to weaken as if it were being drained away.

He flew into the building, freezing as he laid eyes on his sister, Yukina. Sinamon was holding her hand, concentrating with all her might to bring her back.

He raced forward and caught her as she fell back, her pulse slowing to a dull beat as the last of her life energy was drained out of the body.

"Damn it!" was all he could say as he laid her on the ground before him.

He positioned both his hands over her heart, feeding his own life force into her. When he felt her pulse come back, he relaxed, lifting her in his arms. He could not understand why she would even try something like that. Bringing someone back to life was hard even when the person had died only moments before but someone who had been dead for months was impossible. He glanced back at his sister, knowing she would have felt bad that the young girl had almost lost her life. For some reason he felt as if in holding this girl, he was betraying everything he had been raised to believe.

She snuggled closer to him, her hand lightly grasping the cloth that was his shirt. He couldn't help but smile as her eyes lightly flickered open.

"Hiei? Why am I so cold?" she whispered, a shiver visibly shaking her body.

He nodded, holding her tighter though knowing the heat from his body wouldn't truly get to her for at least five minutes. It was something he wished death wouldn't bring to people. He wanted to keep her warm but it was nearly impossible until he got some place that had the materials he needed. He knew just the place to find her the help she needed.

KoEnma ran out and froze as Hiei brushed right past him and left, heading towards his home on the outer barriers of Koorime territory. KoEnma sighed, running a hand roughly through his hair as he turned back to the palace. Now he had to find Hiei and Sinamon before he could continue with the mission. They were close to finding Tamamo's hide out but it would need all the members of the Spirit Detectives in case it turned out to be her hideout. George smiled slightly to him, falling into step behind him.

Kikiyo laughed as Han once again won the game of cards against people in the park. Kurama was watching them both, noticing how much he and Kikiyo had grown together. He only wished Kikiyo would show an interest in him.

As if sensing his stare, she turned back and smiled, "Hey, what's wrong? You've got your pensive look on."

He smiled, "Just thinking of the past."

Kikiyo looked down, seemingly ashamed, "About that, Kurama. We need to talk."

He nodded, following her to the lakeside where she stopped. looking out over the water at the

mirror image of the sky above.

"Kurama, you know I truly loved you then, but it seems you've … changed. I mean, I'll admit

it's for the better but still I don't know how I feel when we now hardly know each other." She turned to him, continuing to avoid his gaze, "Do you understand what I mean? There's a possibility I still love you but I can't be honest on my feelings if I don't really know you."

He smiled and nodded, "I know we've grown apart, but I want to know you're safe. Kikiyo, I don't know what the outcome of this will be, but I want you to know if I die, I'll find you again. I love you and always will."

Kikiyo felt tears prick up in her eyes as she continued to avoid his gaze. She knew she loved him more so than before, but how could she be sure? At that moment, all she wanted was to have him hold her in his arms.

"Kikiyo, come here. It's alright."

She smiled to herself as he held her tight, planting a kiss on her cheek.

_He always seemed able to read my mind_.

She allowed herself to be comforted by his arms, feeling the familiar barrier of safety erect itself around them. The world seemed miles away as they stood together, their arms encircling each other. At that moment, they both knew the other loved them beyond words. Only when you looked deep into their soul, could you see how much they cared. Even though they hadn't said it with words, it was felt and they could rely on that until the time they were able to voice their feelings.

Kikiyo wondered if they would ever have a chance again to say how much they loved each other. She knew deep down, something was going to ripe them apart and soon. She tried to figure it out but nothing came to her as she continued to let him hold her. Feeling that she didn't deserve his love, she snuggled closer to remind herself it was his to give. She needed more so now than before. They had been pulled apart by death and she couldn't allow that to happen now.

Kurama nuzzled closer to Kikiyo, knowing she was unsure if they would be able to make their relationship work. They loved each other but it was only time that held them apart.

Yusuke was jogging with Kuwabara when he heard the voice he had dreaded hearing since a few months ago. Keiko Yukimora had been Yusuke's girlfriend until he began mysteriously disappearing for weeks on end without explanation.

"Hello, Yusuke. I'm surprised to see you here," her voice dripped with spite.

Keiko had brown hair to just below her shoulder in two pigtails. Her eyes were chocolate brown, angered beyond belief. Her skin was a creamy tan and shined as she glared at him. She wore a pair of blue jeans with a big blue shirt on.

"Oh, hey Keiko. What's up?" he replied half-heartedly.

"As if it would matter to you."

He sighed, "Fine, but you were the one who suggested we remain friends."

"Whatever. You're never here and you don't tell me where you go. Friends don't lie to one another," she responded, her hands on her hips.

"Kei, I can't tell you. If I did, I'd have to kill you and I don't want to do that."

"See you, Urameshi," she turned and stormed away in anger as she usually did.

"Geez, you two really are great together," Kuwabara said sarcastically.

"Shut up. We're going to go see Kurama and the others. Hopefully KoEnma and them have a game plan."

Kuwabara shrugged and followed, casting a glance to see Keiko watch Yusuke leave mournfully. Those two would never admit they cared for each other. He would have been surprised if they even knew how much they cared for each other. Even when they were together all they could do was fight and ignore their feelings. He knew he needed to help but he couldn't say how. With a sigh, he hurried to catch up with Yusuke.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Niri was smuggled from the hide out by a small band of thieves. They were broad and muscular though hidden behind cloaks and masks, keeping their identity from him. They allowed him the small luxury of riding on a horse instead of walking like a few. The leader, known as Koi to

Niri, led the way, leaving the rest behind to get to KoEnma's palace rapidly.

"We shall reach his majesty shortly. If you wish to turn back, now is the time, young one," he said, his voice slightly muffled by the cloth obscuring his mouth.

Niri shook his head, his gaze landing on the huge building which was the palace. He knew he was doing the right thing but was nervous of having to go to the palace. He had killed many people mercilessly and expected no mercy to be shown to him even with his young age. He was smart for his age and knew that what he had done was wrong. Those were the cards life had dealt him. He expected life in prison at the least if not death. Yet somehow he knew he would

have to be ready for anything.

The gates were before them and Koi called out, "I bring a new ally! Open up!"

The gates slowly opened, allowing them passage into the castle. Niri could feel himself begin to shake for the first time from fear of what would happen.

_So much for not showing any feelings,_ he thought to himself.

"Stay calm, child. I will help you through this. I owe Spyk much," Koi whispered as he unsaddled the horse, helping Niri down afterwards.

He nodded, following close behind Koi as he led the way from the courtyard to KoEnma's office. Koi knew the way, and it seemed the Oni's feared his approach.

"Lord KoEnma. Greetings from the desert men."

KoEnma looked up, irritated from Koi just barging in. He sat with Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Han, and Kikiyo trying to figure out where Hiei took Sinamon.

"What do you want, Koi?" he asked aggravated.

"I bring a young boy that seeks your counsel," he answered, keeping Niri hidden behind him.

"I am busy. As you know, the Crystal was stolen, and we now need to lock the Sorceress inside."

"KoEnma, if you let him leave, I assure you, our friend in dark places shall be quite displeased as well as Lady Nonomiko."

His eyes widened slightly before he nodded, "Send the boy in. I assume you will not leave till everything is taken care of," he said, watching Koi nod as he stepped forward. "Very well."

Koi smiled down at Niri though hidden, "This is Niri. Now tell them what you know."

Niri watched them stare, shocked at him, "I was Yoshi's head boy. I was assigned many of the murders that he did not wish to do himself. But Tamamo has taken over and wants to kill us all."

Koi lightly touched his shoulder in support, knowing the boy had murdered in cold blood. He could practically see the fear, disgust, and sadness that plaqued him from those he killed. It seemed to radiate from him as he stared down at his feet. Niri didn't want to see the disgust or betrayal that would more than likely plague their eyes.

"How old are you?" Kuwabara asked, looking the boy over.

"11. I've been with Yoshi since I was 6," he responded quietly.

Kurama got up and knelt before him, "What did she do to you?"

Niri turned around and let the top of his robes fall to reveal his back. The skin was cut up and

red, hardly having time to scab over. One of the wounds had even reopened, blood lightly draining down his back.

Kurama shook his head, also sensing the inner turmoil; he covered the boy once again.

"Here, eat this and you'll feel better," he whispered, giving him a healing herb in the form of a

seed.

Once Niri had swallowed it, Kurama could not resist the urge and hugged the little boy. Niri stood rigid for a moment, watching as Kikiyo got up and, following Kurama, hugged him as well. Niri's mind swirled with the images of those he had killed before the pictures blended together into the picture of his parents. They may have abused him but he did not really want them to die. He let his anger control him, thinking it was his only escape. Now he could see how wrong he was; he could have found a way out of it without killing people, without betraying those who had raised him.

He relaxed, latching onto Kurama's neck and, for the first since he joined Yoshi, he truly cried. His tears soaked his cheeks while he buried his face into Kurama's shoulder as grief gripped him completely. He deserved everything the Prince decided would be his punishment. He knew he needed this more than anything; he needed to just be held and cry out everything he had held inside his whole life. He was a criminal and had had his childhood stolen from him. With that thought, he clung tighter to Kurama's neck, feeling Kurama and Kikiyo hug him tighter as if to give him the comfort and support he needed.

"I killed them. I killed them all. My mom and dad, spies, traitors, thieves. I killed them all. Even that girl. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," he cried as the tears fell from his eyes in rapid succession.

Kurama looked at Kikiyo who had tears in her eyes, the anger visible in his eyes. He grabbed her hand and squeezed, smiling sadly at her as he let Niri cry himself out.

KoEnma also allowed the boy to finish crying before he spoke, "What will we do with you now?"

Niri wiped his eyes, Koi now kneeling beside him protectively, "I don't know. Whatever you want. I should be punished. I should even be killed. It's the least I deserve for what I did."

Kuwabara stood up, staring at KoEnma, "He's only a kid, let him help us. He deserves a chance."

KoEnma nodded, "Niri, if you never, ever commit another crime in killing people, I'll allow you go to the Ningenkai and be adopted. Of course, someone will visit you monthly."

Koi smiled, "Our friend had hoped as much. Niri, what would you say to becoming our mutual friend's son?"

Niri smiled, "Really? That would be cool."

Koi nodded, talking over his shoulder, "Niri'll have to stay here until he can get him."

KoEnma nodded as Koi smirked to Niri, tousling his hair, "See ya soon, kid."

Niri nodded, watching him leave. He still refused to let go of Kurama, his arms linked around the man's neck.

"So…what do you want to do?" Kikiyo asked, her hand running through his hair.

His smile faltered, "I've never done anything besides kill."

She sighed, watching Han kneel in front of the young boy, her cards in hand, "Every heard of poker?"

Niri furrowed his brow in confusion before shaking his head, "But I'd love to learn."

The others groaned, some resting their hands on their heads as Han's smile widened, "Then let's do this."

Hiei laid Sinamon on a bed covered in black silk. Her skin stood out as she continued to remain unconscious. He could feel her power becoming restored.

A small Imp appeared behind him, bowing to him, "Master Hiei, what shall I get thee?"

Hiei turned from Sinamon, "Inform me when she awakes."

The Imp nodded, watching his Master leave the room. Hiei entered his study, feeling out of place in his own Manor. He had refused to live in it even though it was his father, Koji's wish before he left to join Yomi's service. He did not even know if he was still alive, much less care.

"Long time no see, Hiei," a voice Hiei recognized said from the desk.

Kaguya sat with her feet on the well-polished surface of the desk. She had shoulder length strawberry blonde hair with light purple streaks and dark orchid tips. Her bangs were light purple and the right side covered her right eye. Her eyes were different colors: the left being a golden-blue while the right was a purple with a small cat-like iris. She wore a white shirt with long flowing sleeves that rested on her mid upper arm; the sleeves were black at the end. The shirt cut off revealing a stomach of light tan skin. Her pants were low riders with two black stripes on both sides, standing out against the white pants.

She had three line scars under her left eye from a battle. She was a Youkai hybrid, both wolf and cat breed. Her ears were cat ears on top of her head, colored white with small black streaks on the bass. Her tail was that of a wolf, long and colored brown with black streaks. On her back, she had two black devil wings that were small, only about a foot at full length. Though many did not know, she ruled over a small-secluded section of the Makai; which is why she wore the royal emblem around her neck, being her mother's locket. Also around her neck she had a red and black dog collar.

"What do you want, Kaguya?" he asked, annoyed by her sudden choice of time to arrive.

She smiled, seemingly baring one fang, "I heard you Spirit Detectives let Tamamo leave the crystal so I've decided to help."

Hiei scoffed, crossing his arms, "At the moment, I have more important things to take care of."

She raised her left eyebrow, "And what would that be?" she chuckled. "Oh, right. That girl,

Kurama's little sister. How is your relationship coming, or is it even coming?"

Hiei glared, "Hn. She's my partner."

Kaguya laughed, "Fine. Well, I'll be going so you and your 'partner' can have some alone time."

Hiei continued to glare as Kaguya disappeared through a portal she opened. How could she even think that he and Sinamon were anything more? They had saved each other's lives and helped each other but that didn't mean that they were anything more than partners. Kurama and he had done the same for each other when they had worked together as partners. He was sure the others thought the same thing as Kaguya and that angered him. He was unable to do anything without others believing he was breaking and actually feeling things that were alien to him.

He growled, throwing himself into the seat Kaguya had previously occupied. He had work to do and then he would deal with Sinamon and the supposed feelings he had for her. It was a waste of time to even think about such things. He opened the book sitting on the desk and found it full of things purchased over the previous months. With a groan, he set to work.

Sinamon slowly opened her eyes, rubbing her head, hoping to rid herself of the pounding throbbing in her temples.

"Mistress, have thee awaken?"

Sinamon looked up to see a small green Imp wearing royal blue garments.

"Um, who are you?" she questioned.

"Oh, I am called Styl by my Master, Mistress."

She nodded, "I'm Sinamon."

He nodded, "I must tell Master Hiei thee have awoken, Mistress Sinamon," at that he disappeared with a pop.

She looked around the room, shocked to not be able to see the ceiling. Light poured in through an open doorway leading to a balcony, the rail covered in roses. Their scent wafted in on a cool breeze that fluttered the curtains tied open by black rope. She was laying on a large bed covered in black silk and smelt of…sulfur?

It suddenly dawned on her.

_This is Hiei's house. And this is his… bed,_ she thought, a light blush creeping over her cheeks.

She tried to extract herself from the sheets, but only ended up entangling herself further, being unable to really move.

Hiei walked in, Styl close behind him, his large brown eyes watching them, hoping his Master would not run this one out like he did the others. All he had now from the past was Kaguya only because she refused to leave him alone. His Mother and the other two woman he had been mildly interested in had not been able to stay a day before he became enraged and tried to rid himself of them. He had even nearly killed one of the women for she tried to get to his riches stored in the faults under the Manor. It was not that his Master held money and riches in high fashion but that he wanted someone that could satisfy him both physically and emotionally without being after his money.

"What is going on?" he whispered loudly enough for Sinamon to hear.

"Hiei, look, I'm okay, but I should be getting back to KoEnma because.."

"Because you're trying to bring back my sister," he interrupted. "Why? You never liked her."

Sinamon had been maneuvering the sheets as she could get out and at that statement stormed over to Hiei.

In one fluid movement, she slapped him for the second time, "She was my friend. I trusted her more than anyone else and DON'T you think otherwise. Just because I kidnapped you and locked you away, you think that I'm unable to trust people or like them? Well, 'Master' you need to learn something. I'm Ningen now, I've learned to deal with feelings while you continue to be a cold-hearted Bastard."

Hiei glared at her, "I don't care. Do what you wish."

He then turned and stormed out, leaving Sinamon to stare at his back in anger. She couldn't believe he had actually said that. Why was it no one believed she could care for Yukina? She had done nothing but be nice and friendly with the young girl and in return, she was treated as if she had single-handedly killed her. She sighed, turning from the door to sit on the bed. Now even Hiei thought she was nothing but a traitor. She was his partner, she had saved him and this was how he treated her?

She ran a hand through her hair in aggravation. She couldn't understand how anyone could get along with him. Now since she didn't know where she was or how to get back to the Reikai, she was stuck with him until he decided to take her back.

A young girl slowly opened her eyes, the red orbs focusing on the wall before her. She had light blue hair that fell into her face as she scanned the room. She was clothed in a white robe held closed by a white tie.

Her eyes widened as she thought, _What am I doing alive? That man killed me before Hiei told me he was my…._'

She smiled, shifting slightly, her pale skin glowing slightly as the energy flowed through her body, reintegrating itself into her, blending with what was left of her power. She could tell she was at KoEnma's palace, but could not tell where exactly since she had never seen this place. She was floating in the air, unable to move from lack of strength. She allowed her eyes to drift shut, following the connection to her brother. She had to know if he was all right or if her death had caused him too much pain.

She could feel he was confused and a little scared, but also happy. She sighed, letting her mind drift back to itself. It was good to know he could find happiness even after her death. She had seen Sinamon in his mind and knew somehow he had found his soul mate, his true love. Yet, like the Hiei she had known, he refused to see it for himself. She needed him to realize it before he gave up and lost her completely. Wanting him to be happy was hard when she knew the only time he would be happy was when he finally accepted his feelings. Another thing that didn't help was she could never understand why he despised feeling so much to begin with.

She felt her energy begin to drain as she thought through all that had been shown to her. She knew if she wanted to see the Spirit Detectives again, see Kuwabara again, she needed to regain her energy. As her eyes drifted close to sleep, she sent out a silent message to any that were listening. She told them thanks for bringing her back, for caring enough to risk their life to save her. Her body and mind gave up to sleep a moment later.

.

Prince KoEnma, King Yama, Lord Inari and Lady Nonomiko sat in the Imperial throne room, silence stretching between them.

"We are the only gods and goddess' who are willing to deal with this problem. Each of us must choose a person to give our powers to that will help destroy Tamamo. Together they can lock her away for good, even send her to the Meikai with Yakumo," KoEnma stated.

Lord Inari nodded, "We've had time to discuss this and we've decided on our representatives."

Lady Nonomiko continued for him, "Who we all choose must form an unbreakable bond that can never be conquered or we will lose. I believe those we don't choose will still wish to help their friends."

KoEnma nodded, "I'm choosing Yusuke. He's my best Spirit Detective and undoubtedly the strongest."

King Yama thought a moment, "I choose Hiei. He has a power locked inside he doesn't know about."

Lady Nonomiko smiled, "I choose my loyal servant, Spyk. He's my most trusted worker."

Lord Inari nodded, "I choose Sinamon. She's strong-willed and loyal to those who earn her

trust."

KoEnma stood, "It seems we've decided what we're going to …"

The door slammed open, a figure seemingly floated across the room. He had long black hair pulled in a low ponytail. He had piercing silver eyes that kept your attention. His skin was creamy tan and unblemished besides a scar running down the left side of his face. He wore black pants and a silver silk shirt.

"How could you leave me out?" Lord Hoku, the Lord of Eagles said.

"You mean you'll join us?" Lady Nonomiko asked in mock excitement.

He nodded, "Yep and I choose Han as my representative."

KoEnma smiled, "Well, we should call a meeting to tell the others of what will happen. Thank you, Hoku. We'll need as much help as possible with this."

Hoku nodded, smiling broadly as he sat cross-legged in the air. He loved being the center of attention and knew this would only bring the attention of the god's to him. Truth be told, he only wanted one goddess' attention and helping the Ningens that she so loved to watch was certain to get the recognition he wanted. Lady Juliet was the Goddess of Love but had yet to find someone that suited her. Lord Hoku was adamant to make that lover him.

Styl sat down at Sinamon's feet, making a crown of roses for her. He smiled to himself, content with the peace surrounding the young girl.

"Do thee love Master?" he questioned.

Sinamon shrugged, "He's a pain in the ass if you ask me."

A voice spoke behind her, "Yeah, he is but he's just trying to protect himself."

She spun around to find Kaguya, "Oh, hello. Aren't you Kaguya?"

She nodded, "Yep. I'm one of Hiei's oldest friends. 'Course he won't admit it, but I've seen lots of things happen to him."

Sinamon nodded, "I sometimes wish he'd talk to me about it. We've both got hard lives, we could help each other somehow. Could you tell me what happened to him? I mean, what made him so…cold-hearted."

Kaguya smiled, "Sorry, that's his field. He hardly trusts me as it is. He just takes a little time, but you'll get through. I can already tell by how he treats you. He would have killed anyone else for slapping him."

Sinamon shrugged, "I don't know. Anyway what are you doing here?"

She chuckled, "Oh I'm here to see the lovely fire baby. The cutest in the world for a kid."

Sinamon turned away, her eyes wide as she thought, _He has a kid?! Why that little_…

Kaguya watched Sinamon; unable to comprehend why Sinamon seemed so angry, "Well, I'll be leaving. Have to make sure Lord Hoku isn't misbehaving. Bye."

Sinamon continued to just stare out over the open land, trying to calm her anger.

"I hate him and that's final!" she yelled finding it calming.

Hiei froze in the doorway, his hand less than an inch from the doorknob. His eyes were wide before narrowing as he turned and walked away in anger. If she felt that way, then he would leave her longer. She deserved to be alone. Why should he care if she ate or not? She hated him and ….He froze.

_Why do I feel like I've just been betrayed by her? It's not as if I care for her. Or do I?_

He felt himself begin to grow angry at the mere thought that she could make him feel things that he had never felt or cared to feel. She had gone behind his back to bring his sister back to life. Why would she do that? He knew for a fact she disliked Kuwabara. Then had she done it for him?

Against his better judgment, he turned around and stormed back into the room. He found Sinamon sitting on the bed once more, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail while she fiddled with the sheets. Her mind was else where, thinking deeply over something.

"Sinamon, I need to ask you something?"

She turned around, obviously surprised that he was there. She had felt his energy rise as he walked away and knew he had heard what she yelled.

"Why did you try and bring back Yukina? Besides the fact that you two were friends, I hardly see a reason."

She sighed, falling back on the bed. Hiei approached her curiously, watching her gaze focus on him when he came into view.

"Sometimes, that's all you need. Just to know that your friend will be all right, that they'll be there when you wake up. Plus Kuwabara really loves her, he was always loyal and cared for her and made her happy."

He sat down beside her suddenly confused, "You never liked Kuwabara, that's not the reason. Is it?"

She yawned, curling up beside him, her head coming to rest on his lap without her realizing it, "I guess I sorta did it for you too. I wanted to show you that I could care for something. I thought maybe it would make you trust me more, tell me more about your past, about why you pretend to be so heartless."

Hiei furrowed his brow, lightly brushing the hair from her face, "How would that help? She was dead and hardly knew anything about me."

She snuggled closer, "But you knew everything about her. You cared about her, even loved her I'd say. I just don't understand why you can't allow…others to see…that side…of you."

He lightly shook her, waking her slightly for her to finish, "Why do you always act that way, Hiei? I always wonder that. I always wonder why you seem to not trust anyone but yourself. Why you always pretend you don't care when one of your partners get hurt. But you never seemed to think of telling me."

He stood, picking her up, "It's difficult to explain."

She peeked at him sleepily, "You should try."

He laid her down, sitting beside her, "Well, I raised myself. I was the only one that cared about me and where I slept the next night. Even with that I knew I needed help. After you live in the Makai most of your life, you can't help but become like me. To them, it's wrong to show emotions, to show any kind is weakness."

He glanced at her, watching her curl up to his side, "Is that why you can't love anyone? People will…hurt you?"

He shook his head, "No, I'll hurt them. I can never find a way to show how I feel unless it's anger or hate. How can I show I love someone when that's all I know?"

It was Sinamon's turn to explain to him, "You say it, you say it whenever possible and no matter whose around to hear it. You kiss them, hug them, hold their hand whenever possible.

You love to talk with them and do so. You listen to their opinion and tell them yours."

He sighed, pulling her up so she rested her head on his shoulder, "But how? I still don't understand."

She draped her arm over his stomach, nuzzling his shoulder, "For someone who doesn't understand you sure can do it."

He glanced at her and smiled, "I can, can't I?"

She nodded, her eyes focusing on him as she felt sleep finally begin to sink its tendrils into her brain, "Yeah. Now all you have to do is…learn to show your…emotions…to others. Do...you …even love…me? Care…about me?"

He looked at her shocked, only to find she was asleep, her body relaxed and resting closely to him.

Sighing, he said, "I don't know, Sinamon. I wished I did but it's just so confusing."

He lifted her arm and head while extracting himself from her hold. Lightly laying them back down, he covered her before leaving. Without noticing it, Kaguya and Styl stepped out from behind the curtains and smiled to each other.

"Does this mean Master and Mistress will be getting married?" Styl whispered.

Kaguya shrugged, motioning for them to leave as Sinamon snuggled deeper into the covers Hiei had left her with.

Kikiyo felt Kurama take her hand in the dark, smiling to herself as he climbed into her bed.

"Night, Kit," he whispered, pulling her to him as he snuggled to her back.

Kikiyo leaned into him, feeling content and happy though feeling like she was betraying the real Kurama. He kissed the shell of her ear; his breath sending shivers over her body.

"I love you, sweetheart," he nuzzled her neck and began kissing down her neck.

"Kurama… please, let's not do this tonight," she whispered breathlessly, suddenly feeling the loneliness she had felt for the last years without him.

He nodded, shifting though not pulling away, "Sorry, it's that season. You know, heat coming on."

Kikiyo's eyes flew open as her mind scrambled, "Oh no, Sinamon's all alone with Hiei and she'll be going into…"

Kurama cursed, extracting himself from the sheets. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips before turning to leave.

"I'll be back soon but I have to find Sinamon before she does something," he said turning quickly and disappearing out the door.

Kikiyo sighed, feeling her instincts try to take over. Between mid-spring and mid-summer, Forbidden Children and some select Kitsunes and Youkai go through two months of heat. Most will only mate with others in their species that are in heat though hybrids like Sinamon and Kurama mate with any Youkai, Ningen, or Immortal.

She bit her lip as the waves of desire and pleasure crashed down on her. She would not give in to her instincts. She owed Kurama that much. Besides the fact she doubted there was another Kitsune near the palace in heat. It also helped that she knew she truly loved Kurama, that he was her soul mate or she would have hated to see what she would have done while he was gone. She only had to hope they would be able to resist each other until it passed. If not, they would have a problem in the fact Kikiyo would more than likely become pregnant.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Lord Inari sat patiently with Lady Nonomiko, he was too busy thinking to notice anything she said. He knew he was out of line in hitting Sinamon and he knew she would not let him down.

This was his way of asking for her forgiveness. The only problem now was that they had to find her in order to make it happen.

Lord Hoku came in, King Yama sitting in the corner in peace as he watched the proceedings.

Prince KoEnma was seated beside his Father, waiting for the others to come, having sent

Kurama and Han to get Hiei and Sinamon. Han would keep him in line since she would not succumb to her instincts. Or at least they hoped as much. If she did, there was no telling if they would make it in time to keep them from mating. It was the last thing they needed. Sinamon hadn't even finished school yet and getting pregnant was not going to help her attend the school.

"When will they return?" Hoku asked, bored already with the silence.

"When they get here. Some must escape from their field jobs to get here," Nonomiko commented as she inspected her nails.

Hoku nodded, stretching as he looked her over. The door flew open, causing him to fall over in front of the desk.

"I'm here as you requested, My Lady," he said, his body hidden under a large cloak while only his chin could be seen from under the hood.

"Welcome, Spyk, have a seat. The meeting will commence once the others come," Inari spoke instead of Nonomiko.

He nodded, finding a shaded spot in the corner so he was secluded from the others. He scanned the room as if searching for all possible exits in case something happened. It was his instinct now to know just where every exit was in case trouble came along and they needed to make a quick get away.

Sinamon stretched, her eyes a golden-blue as she stared at the ceiling. She felt alive, but more so, knew one thing. There was a male Youkai in the Manor and he was alone next door. She slipped on a silver silk robe that licked at the floor. Under that she wore black velvet pajama pants with silver fireballs and a tight black velvet shirt with silver fireballs. She remembered waking in the middle of the night and decided to change into something more comfortable. It helped her when she remembered the talk her and Hiei had had.

Hiei sat on the edge of the bed, his chin resting easily on his palm. He knew he would have to return Sinamon soon because of the importance of the mission, but Sinamon needed to learn that not all the time people came to your rescue. She needed to stop running from her past or they would lose the battle against Tamamo.

His door opened and Sinamon walked in calmly, eyeing him while noticing he was deep in thought. She smirked to herself in an uncommonly seen way. Almost like a fox stalking its prey in quiet concentration and knowing it was about to succeed in its goal. She stalked lightly towards him, her eyes slowly changing to a light gold as she stared at him. Her eyes roamed up and down his body for many minutes.

Hiei looked up when she stopped in front of him, noting the color of her eyes had changed.

"What do you want? I'm not taking you back yet so go away," Hiei commented dryly.

Sinamon leaned down so she came eye level with him, "Who said anything about going back? I'm quite content here. With you."

Hiei leaned away as she came closer, "No. Go away," he seethed, still angered by her words.

Everything she said last night had made him think and he had been unable to concentrate on anything other. He still was no closer to understanding what he felt for her or anyone else on the team for that matter. Now she had to appear and seemed trying to seduce him. It was the last thing he needed at the moment. It would only serve to complicate what was between them or if there was anything between them.

"Why? Do you have some stupid love child that you don't want me to know about?" She stood back, angered for a moment before smiling, "Well, I don't care."

She shoved him down on the bed, straddling his waist while he tried to get her off. Surprisingly she was stronger than she looked. She smirked, leaning down to plant kisses along his jaw line.

"Get off me!" he tried pushing her off.

Memories assaulted him, the images of the past experience when he was younger. His movements became weak as he became afraid. A fear he had not succumbed to since that incident. It was something he had only experienced that once and never again. He never allowed himself to get into the position where he would have to face the fear again.

Sinamon finally gently pressed her lips on Hiei's; surprising him at how gentle she was compared to the heated frenzy from a moment earlier. He found himself relaxing, wondering what it would be like to kiss her completely. Sinamon suddenly pulled back, her eyes back to a sapphire blue.

"What-What's going on?" she asked as she stared at him.

She quickly scrambled off of him, staring down at her hands, betrayal plaguing her eyes. Hiei slowly got up, concentrating completely on Sinamon. He moved quickly, not knowing how long she would have her guard down. In one fluid movement, he wrapped one arm around her waist, crushing her body to his while his other hand gently held the side of her neck.

"Hiei? Let me go. Please," she pleaded, her eyes watering as she stared at him.

He leaned in, his mouth near her ear, his breathe tickling it as he whispered, "Do you think I would hurt you?"

Sinamon shivered even though the heat, which surrounded him naturally, had enveloped her in its grasp. He waited to see if she would respond but she remained silent, her eyes wide with fear. Something about her in that state scared him, hurt him deeply and he couldn't understand why she was so scared of him. He would never do anything to hurt her, never would be able to.

For some reason he just knew that hurting her would hurt him but more so. He smiled to himself; maybe he did understand love after all.

"I would never…could never hurt you," he continued bringing his lips closer to her neck.

"Only because… Kurama would…hurt you," she said as she tried to calm herself.

Hiei froze opening his eyes, "Perhaps. But he's not here to hurt me now, is he?"

She pulled back, trying to get out from his embrace, "Hiei, stop, please."

He pulled her back, saying, "This is how our world works. You try to seduce me and I do the same to you."

She then grabbed his neck, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder, a silent sob racking her shoulder. Hiei wrapped her close, feeling ashamed of his actions, his own instincts increasing since the fight with Yoshi.

_He must have injected me with something_, he thought as he pulled her closer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, lightly kissing her neck while she cried.

She clung to him, burying her face deeper into his shoulder without thinking.

"Please, Hiei. Don't-Don't do that again. You really scared me," she whispered to him, nuzzling his neck.

He sighed, tightening his grip on her, he closed his eyes as if trying to control himself.

_Gods, don't let me do something to hurt her_, he pleaded with any deity that was listening.

Han stood waiting for Kurama to catch up. She had easily found Hiei's Manor once they were near it. It could be seen for hundreds of miles once you neared the border of the Koorime territory.

"He had better not do anything to her or I'll…" he muttered.

"Shut it, Boy. I'm sure nothing happened," she responded, knocking loudly on the heavy oak doors before shoving them open.

An Imp scurried away in fear, not wishing to enrage the visitors that refused to wait to be announced.

"They should be near here," she whispered to herself before moving towards the stairs.

It did not take long to find them, the bedroom door was open. Hiei had his arms around her waist, Sinamon's arms holding him close around his neck. Hiei and her were engrossed in their kiss, slowly moving towards his bed. Sinamon seemed to be leading the kiss, the kiss deepening from a simple, innocent kiss. They were both exploring the others mouth, at first hesitant before turning to a heated, lust-filled kiss.

Kurama growled as he stormed into the room and struggled to pull them apart. They only seemed to cling to the other tighter as he tried to pull. Han stood over to the side, watching in amusement without offering to help. She laughed when Hiei shoved Kurama away roughly, laying Sinamon down on the bed. Kurama tackled him, throwing him off of Sinamon.

Once done, he threw Sinamon over his shoulder, "Let's go. The meeting should be starting soon."

Hiei looked at him dazed before following, his eyes glazed over.

"Kids," Han muttered, shaking her head as she followed.

She could only remember what it was like to be that young and some of the crazy things she had done. It was only in the nature of children to be curious about the opposite sex. She had never gotten to the point where she almost slept with someone other than Spyk. They had known each other for three years before she felt that she cared for him or at least lusted after him. When she had tried to seduce him, she found it went both ways and had hardly been able to stop in time to save what was left of her virtue. The first time they actually made love was their honeymoon. Nothing could change the feeling that she felt when they knew that no matter what, their relationship was forever, it was true love and nothing could break them apart.

Everyone finally met back at the palace, joining Spyk in the office though he remained cloaked.

Kurama sat Sinamon down in a chair, watching her closely.

"First thing is Kurama, Kikiyo, Han and Sinamon need to take this. It will keep you from the cycle of heat for this year. Kinda of like the Ningen birth-control though much more efficient."

Sinamon, Kikiyo, and Han blushed lightly before swallowing the pill along with Kurama.

"Okay. Now let me introduce our other god helping us. This is Lord Hoku, Ruler of Eagles. We have all chosen a person to use our power to defeat Tamamo. I have chosen, and please come forward when I call your name, Yusuke Urameshi," Prince KoEnma said quietly.

Lord Inari spoke next, "I have chosen Sinamon Minamino," he kept his eyes trained on her, relaying his apology.

King Yama's voice boomed in the room, "I chose Hiei Seitsu."

Lord Hoku bounced around the room, "I choose Mahanri Larnaa."

Spyk watched them stand slowly and come forward, his eyes trained on one, Han. She was just like he remembered, beautiful beyond anyone in the room. A radiant light lining her figure.

Lady Nonomiko stood last, her eyes trained on Spyk, "I choose my loyal spy, Spyk Larnaa."

He stepped forward, watching Han's eyes widen as she turned to him. He refrained from touching her, content in just staring into her eyes.

"The power transfer will take place tonight after all have gone to bed. Now you five must understand, in order to win, you must trust each other and bind your powers together to contain her for eternity."

He stood completely still while the others were congratulated on being chosen. It seemed the original team would still be together, each of those not chosen pledged to see the mission through. All he wanted was to hold Han, having let her walk away about 100 years ago. His

Youkai had been under control for more than twenty years because of Lady Nonomiko's training but even when he knew he could control it, he refused to search for Han, hoping she had fallen in love with someone else and would become happy. Now as he stared at her, he hoped she hadn't. The feelings he had felt back then only doubled in her absence.

Han found herself seeking solitude even at the revelation that Spyk was there. She found herself in the gardens standing by the small, yet majestic waterfall. It was hard to think that Spyk was so close. Her heart broke as she thought of how easily he could have found her. Yet he had waited until she was content with being alone to show up and show her just how much she missed having him by her side every day.

"Trist? Are you really here?" he asked, his voice drifting over to her, enveloping her in a gentle hug.

She looked at him from across the small clearing, "Yeah, Spyk. It's me."

She restrained herself from jumping into his arms as he smiled as her, his cloak forgotten on the ground. He still looked as he had when left though perhaps slightly more muscular. She remembered he had an unseen strength that had frightened her before. Now she was only glad that it seemed his Youkai side was under control.

"You're beautiful, Trist, you know that though. So beautiful," he repeated mostly to himself.

"Why didn't you come looking for me?" she asked hesitantly.

He froze, turning his gaze out over the water, "I had hoped you found another. You know, became happy, had kids, whatever. Did you?"

She shook her head, "I loved you, still do. I could never find another like you."

He smiled, not hesitating to pull her into his arms. His mouth found hers so easily, his body on fire with desire he had kept bottled for all those year. He loved the feel of her arms around his neck, feeling her body pressed to his as she kissed him with the same amount of desire he had for her.

He finally pulled back, "You know, I love you. And the best part of this is I can keep you. Just me, no more sharing you with my other side. He can't, and won't be coming back."

She couldn't help but smile, it was more than what she could hope for. Now he was all hers as well, she didn't have to fear for her life whenever she glanced at him. She hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. He placed gentle kisses along her forehead, surprised at how restrained he could be when he had missed her so much. Other women had offered themselves to him whole-heartedly but he had turned them away while he contemplated what he was going to do when he found out Han was with another, was happy. Would he have continued on as if he never knew that fact? Would he let go of the past and find another?

With a sigh, he knew he would never have to know the answer to that question. They belonged to each other and nothing was going to pull them apart. Now they only had the future to worry about. Tamamo would be locked away and they could go home and start a family. Hopefully she wouldn't mind one beginning right now. Niri needed a mother and he was unwilling to give the little boy up to go back to the Ningenkai. That's where all his problems had begun. Plus there was no telling when Yoshi would find out about Niri and Spyk. When it happened, he wanted to be there to protect his son, the boy he had actually raised through the years he had been in Yoshi's service.

"Come on, let's just…relax," Han whispered, pulling him down to sit with her.

Everything would be perfect now, they had each other and nothing else mattered. At least for the day. Tomorrow they could worry about what to do with Tamamo and those who followed her. They only had a little time left before they would have to fight and possibly die. It was something she truly did not want to ruin their reunion. They deserved a little calm before the storm.

Yusuke scooped Kikyana into his arms in his excitement, "I missed you."

She laughed, letting him play around for a few moments until he finally collapsed in his bed. She laid her head comfortably on his chest letting the feel of its steady rise and fall wash over her.

He could not resist and began running his fingers through her hair, "You know, I ran into Keiko at home."

Kikyana sat up seething, "What did that bitch want?"

She had never liked Keiko and had always wanted to kill her with the slightest hint that she was trying to steal Yusuke. It seemed Yusuke didn't truly care about the girl but whenever she offered, he told her no.

"The same thing she always does," he answered as he rested his head on her lap, staring at her.

"You know Kik, even if she threw herself at me, I wouldn't betray you. I love you because of who you are. Plus you accept me."

She smiled down at him, "I know, I just don't trust her. She probably works for Yoshi."

He chuckled through a yawn, his eyes closing sleepily as he allowed himself to rest. She ran her hand through his hair. She knew she was always getting jealous but even she had seen the instant connection between the two. She loved Yusuke; she just wasn't in love with him.

However, she wasn't going to let him be happy with Keiko when she was all alone with no one to care for her. It just was not what she had in mind of a good idea. If he loved Keiko truly, nothing would keep them apart, not even her. With a sigh, she laid her head down on his shoulder, staring silently at the wall.

She couldn't believe she was still depressed and afraid after finding Yusuke. She could only guess it was because Talkien was still waiting for her. Plus she knew her job was to kill the boy sleeping beside her. She could have done it then but knew she couldn't. The worlds were depending on him to save them. When he returned, if he wasn't killed, she would be able to kill him herself. If he was killed, it was only another thing that would go wrong in her life. Not that she should have cared, he would have been dead anyway. She knew it would take time to get the courage to kill him but she had enough bottled inside that she didn't care if he was angry. He would die and by her hand and no other.

"Good night, love. Just remember to come back to me. I have to be the one, not her," she whispered so no one but her could hear.

No one would know of her plans when they were put into action. If they thought it was betrayal, she didn't care, just like Yusuke didn't care of those he had killed to get where he was now. She closed her eyes forcibly. She had a façade to keep up and if she let it drop, he just might find out what she was planning on doing in the end. That was something that could not take place or it would only serve to kill her before her job was complete. That was unacceptable.

Sinamon fell to her knees panting, her sword at her side, the hilt still clutched in her hand. She was fighting the boulders outside the palace though in truth fighting the disgust, the betrayal she felt from herself. In another attempt to release her anger, she flew at the boulder, feeling the steel cut through.

"Hn," a familiar voice said simply behind her.

She growled, not even bothering to look at Hiei, he seemed to find her, "What do you want?"

He did nothing but remain silent, the sheer presence of him knotting Sinamon's gut. She turned to look at him, gripping her sword tighter as her eyes met his now blank blood-red orbs.

"Hiei?" she whispered, almost in fear as he stalked towards her. "Just go away!"

She hurriedly climbed to her feet, brandishing the sword before her.

"Perhaps you would like to see what my instincts are saying," he growled out.

Sinamon shook her head, tripping over an inconvenient rock. Her sword slid from her grasp and landed on the ground a ways from her. Her eyes fell on it before turning back as Hiei's shadow fell on her. He reached out his hand remarkably similar to going for her neck. She cringed, her eyes snapping shut.

"Here," he said quietly.

She quickly opened her eyes, registering a glimpse of pain in his eyes before it was carefully hidden. He waited patiently to help her back up, his hand frozen in place. Finally she put her hand in his, and allowed him to drag her to her feet. Even so, she kept her distance from him, fear lightly hinting in her eyes. She stumbled when he yanked her towards him, his arm securing her body to his. Their eyes bore into each other's, his eyes now full of anger and colored like rubies.

"I told you I'd never hurt you. I meant it."

She squirmed in his grasp, pushing lightly on his chest, "I told you to let me go. Please."

He stared down at her, confusion taking hold of his eyes, "You don't trust me."

She gasped, her body frozen as she stared into his eyes, feeling her heart rip at his accusation.

She trusted him beyond anything she had ever felt before. It was just that he scared her with his sheer presence. He could easily break her and not mean to.

"I do trust you but…you just keep changing. One minute you're so distant, the next you can't keep your hands off me. I just don't understand."

She grabbed his arms roughly, staring him down as he held her tightly to him. They stood there, their arms interlocked, their eyes concentrating on each other and nothing else.

"I don't know either," he whispered, his eyes flickering away. "I wish I did. You just…confuse me."

He let go only to have Sinamon snag his hand, "Join the group, Hiei. You confuse me, too."

He nodded, watching her turn and walk away, his brow furrowed as his gaze slid over her body. It was something that had happened to him but not in the recent months since the death of his sister. He sighed, racking his fingers through his hair as he growled.

_Nice going, Hiei. You confuse me? What were you thinking? You should have just told her you wanted her and be done with it._

The other voice in the back of his head answered back as it always did, _But is it you that wants her or just an effect of the drug Yoshi gave you?_

The sad thing was, he didn't know the answer and that scared him deeply. He turned around as well, returning to his perch on the tree without another glance around.

Lord Inari shook his head as he watched Sinamon and Hiei, "They refuse to accept how they feel."

"Maybe not consciously but subconsciously they can't hide it," Koi answered, his arms crossed over his chest,

"True, but that will not stop the transfer of the barrier, at least," Lord Inari agreed.

Koi sat comfortably down on Lord Inari's throne, "This mission is not quite over. They have time."

Lord Inari nodded, thinking, _But how much? Either is likely to be killed in the end_.

Koi sighed, "My lord, you know they love each other. The only ones that don't see it are them but we have to give them time. All the deities are waiting to see what will happen. Now relax."

Lord Inari scoffed, it was easy for them to say that. He had had to convince the other that they were the legendary Forbidden Children. It had taken all of Sinamon's old life and part of this one as well. He had had to bring them proof of their connection. It had been hard but he had figured out a way. Now it seemed everyone wanted credit for what he did. With a sigh, he turned off the surveillance. He didn't want to see them come together but it was his job. Some times life was so cruel to a god. He could only watch what she experienced though it should have been with him.

"Stop wasting your time on the past. We have a mission to help them complete," Koi said standing from his position on Lord Inari's throne. "I'm gathering all the Desert Men to join in the fight. We're skilled and well powered. So if you'll excuse me, I have meetings to attend to as I'm sure you do as well."

Lord Inari watched Koi leave, sighing as he stared at the now blank screen. Koi was right; he couldn't waste his time on the past when the worlds were depending on him just like they were the rest of the deities.

Niri ran into the garden, ignoring the interesting kissing by Han and Spyk as he threw himself at Spyk, latching his arms around Spyk's midsection in a brotherly hug.

Spyk pulled away reluctantly from Han to turn his attention to the little boy, "Hey Niri. How's it going?" he asked, stooping to the boys level.

"Alright. I've been waiting for you so I could become adopted," he stated lamely.

Spyk chuckled nervously, "Yeah, well, you see. I'll have to chat that over with this lady here.

Niri, this is my wife, Han."

Niri shook her hand, "Will you let Spyk adopt me?"

Spyk was shocked by how much the boy was acting like a …little boy. He had always been grown up and silent, keeping things to himself.

Han looked between the two, "I don't know, we'll talk about it and then tell you."

Spyk could see the worry etched in her eyes and smirked reassuringly at her. He hoped they would both live through this. They needed more time together, time to grow accustom to them being together, a family, all three of them. If she decided to let them adopt Niri. That was the only way it would work. If she decided that she would let him adopt the boy alone, it would be the end of their relationship. He could concentrate all his love on the little boy for as long as he had to. It would hurt to lose Han but he was sure she would be willing to try and take care of the child. Even if she believed that she would not make a good mother, Spyk knew otherwise.

She had the traits; you could even see them in her eyes when she gazed at him over Niri's head. The boy would bespell her and she would be unable to resist just like Niri had done for him.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Spyk snuggled closer to the body next to him, smiling as he sleepily opened his eyes. Han's hand was clasped in his, the sleeping Niri snuggling to her abdomen. Han smiled back, trying to bring him closer though failing because of the little boy.

Spyk had to admit; Niri seemed to slowly be acting like a kid. The childhood he had lacked had taken possession of him quickly. After his emotional fit, he had calmed down but still had that look of the lost child plaguing his eyes. Niri seemed so lonely, having only had one true friend and Spyk knew he wanted him to adopt him.

"Hey, love," he whispered, brushing some hair from her face.

"It's different to wake up next to you. It's peaceful," she leaned into his hand.

Niri snuggled closer to her, burying his face in the blankets. They both smiled, watching the little boy stretch, opening his eyes slowly. Han got up, nodding to Spyk in her way to show they needed to talk.

Spyk ruffled Niri's hair, extracting himself from the covers and following Han into the anteroom. She leaned against the window, her head resting on the cool glass as she stared out across the forest behind the palace.

"I don't know if I'll be good enough for him, Spyk." She turned to him, tears filling the corners of her eyes as she stared at him, "You've had so much practice, I don't want to ruin everything you two have."

Spyk pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he whispered to her, "Trist, Love. You'll be perfect. Niri needs us both, and I need you. Please, at least give him a try."

Han hugged him tightly, her tears falling as all her insecurities began to unfold. She felt Spyk sit her down, cuddling her in his lap while letting her talk everything out. She had to admit, his patience had no bounds.

Kurama sat up, stretching like a fox would. He lightly brushed his hair from his face before freezing, staring at Sinamon who was asleep in the chair by the window. Her hair was long but still black. What struck him as odd was on top of her head was two fox ears, black with silver tips. He knew she would have a black with silver tip tail that was hidden beneath her as she slept. Also that her eyes were now golden as her Kitsune blood took over. His first thought was that the medicine had not worked but then he felt her power level. She had been a low S class but now she had over that; it was the power more so than even a god.

_So the exchange worked_, he thought as he slowly got up to wake her, they would all need to train.

The Chosen Ones would have power beyond imagination. It was only expected that they would need time to get used to their newfound power.

"Sinamon? Come on, lazy. Wake up."

She snuggled deeper into the chair, her eyes opening only slightly before sliding shut again.

"God, Kurama. Leave me alone. I wanna sleep," she mumbled, pulling the blanket up over her shoulder.

Kurama sighed, "Alright, I guess I'll just have to tell Hiei that you don't want to see him without his shirt on, working out, in your room."

He watched her ears perk up as he spoke, smiling when she sat up stretching. He knew, like any other girl, she could not resist the thought of a half-naked man in her bedroom. It also helped that everyone knew Sinamon and Hiei liked each other a lot, no one said love though.

Most feared they would be heard by Hiei and invoke his wraith.

Sinamon hurried from the room, quickly giving Kurama a kiss on the cheek before continuing.

She was going to kill him someday if she didn't learn to control her character. She was so confusing but then again, every girl was that way to a guy.

KoEnma pulled the body next to him closer, he knew Ayame was just sad, but she needed him so he had allowed her to sleep with him. No matter how much he had wanted to, he did not try to seduce her, knowing she still needed time. He loved the feel of her snuggling to him, the way her body molded to his.

He had held her most of the night, letting her know she was not alone and that he was here to comfort her when needed. Of course, she never asked, never would allow her burdens to fall on another.

"KoEnma, do you miss her?" Ayame asked suddenly.

"Yes, she was a good friend," he responded after the slight shock had passed.

She snuggled closer, laying her head on his shoulder as she began to succumb to sleep, the one of many through the night. He placed a light kiss on her forehead, knowing in a few hours she would awake from a nightmare like all the others. He could not tell her the person who killed

Botan was there in the palace and only a boy of 11. It would be too much; he could not punish

the boy. Yoshi was a master with manipulation. This was not his first crime, but the only one of this rank. He usually stole little things, unimportant to any of the worlds even the Meikai which now was no more.

He shrugged, giving his body and mind up to sleep; he would make this his day off. Just to hold

Ayame and not worry about the mission that would soon be at its climax. He nearly jumped when Ayame kissed him passionately, her hand snaking up his shirt to lightly run over his chest.

"KoEnma…" she whispered against his mouth, glad to feel him respond.

This was what she had wanted for months and there was no way she was going to pass up being with KoEnma after waiting so long. He loved her and she knew she felt the same for him. If it meant seducing him, then so be it. She needed him so badly right now.

Hiei sat up quickly, falling from the tree branch he was in. Someone had touched him, someone he had not heard approach or feel approach. It was an icy touch though gentle and loving in the gesture. He rubbed his hand over it, the feeling still not leaving even with the fire he had deep inside. He moved towards the palace already feeling how high his power had increased. Luckily he knew his Jagan kept him from reverting to his Youkai form. A power boost normally put you in the form where your body could stand the amount of power that was running through it.

He thought for a moment, figuring where he would go to see who was what. Shrugging he jumped to a balcony, knowing it was Sinamon's room. He glanced around but did not find her, which was expected from how Kurama had acted the night before. As he turned to leave,

Sinamon came in, reverted to her Kitsune form. From legends he had heard she was beautiful as most Kitsunes were, but Sinamon could rival a goddess.

"Hiei? Hey, Kurama says after breakfast we're going to be training. He calls us the Chosen Ones," she joked, coming up to him. She leaned on the wall, not looking at him, "Look, about yesterday. Well, sorry about the whole seduction thing. It was just instincts."

Hiei nodded, "Yeah, same here."

He turned, heading towards the door to leave but stopping at the door, "By the way, you should stay in your Kitsune form, it's like a goddess."

Sinamon smiled, crossing her arms while she thought a moment. Maybe he could be sweet but they had a job to do. Besides, even if she liked him, things could never happen between them.

His loyalties lied in the Makai while she would always have loyalties to the Ningenkai. It was a complication they could overcome but what if it only led to many more?

She sighed; it wasn't as if he could like her. She was now Ningen no matter how much she looked like a Kitsune. It was only temporary as it were. She glanced out the window and sighed again. So much for a carefree day.

Yoshi sat up, feeling Tamamo come in. She sat beside him, lightly running her fingers through his hair, "Hello, Love. Are you loyal to me?"

Yoshi leaned into her touch, his eyes closing as she began to work her magic, her spell causing him to want her.

"Of course, I will always be yours," he answered.

She smiled, leaning towards him, "Then find Niri. He needs to be punished, kill him."

Yoshi nodded curtly, feeling her kiss him as she always did.

A few moments later, she was gone; Yoshi was on a horse racing through the Makai.

_Why am I doing this? She is commanding me like I'm nothing but a servant. I'm the leader, I brought her back. She should worship me_, he thought.

He slowed the horse, allowing himself an easier pace while he thought it over. He finally smiled, deciding on his course of action. No one would control him, he was his own master, and he would get her power. A simple spell, a little incantation and she would be nothing but a B class Youkai at best. Once he was done with her, the Kitsunes she disgraced would destroy her and that would be the end of her. Of course, she was excellent in bed so he could keep her as she kept him, nothing but a slut for him to take advantage of.

Kikiyo, Yusuke, Sinamon, Hiei, Spyk and Han met out on the training ground. For many of them it was there first time seeing Yusuke in his Youkai form. He had long black hair and tattoos on his body, five on his chest, two on each arm, and one on each cheek.

"So who's going to fight who?" Spyk asked, his arm flung over Han's shoulder.

Niri was on the sideline, watching excitedly as they began to pair up. Yusuke wanted to fight

Kikiyo, knowing she could crystallize things. Spyk wanted to work with Han, not wanting to be separated from her at any time. That then left Hiei and Sinamon to fight. Sinamon shook her head, unsheathing her sword as she stood next to Hiei. Each pair was going to fight separately, Yusuke and Kikiyo going first.

"Man, lucky Kuwabara isn't here to stop us. 'Guys shouldn't fight girls'," Yusuke joked, rubbing the back of his head.

Kikiyo smiled, "You're only hoping that because you know I'll kick your ass."

He shrugged, putting up his fists as he readied to attack. As he ran at her, she dodged, seemingly disappearing to them. She reappeared, throwing a blast of icy wind at Yusuke that froze his feet in place. Yusuke's energy began to incase his body, the ice shattering from the force. He shot a small blast of energy at her, just skimming her shoulder.

"Nice shot! Try this!"

Kikiyo shot a crystalline arrow at him, piercing the jacket he wore and pinning him to the ground again. She summoned a crystal dagger and pinned the rest of him by straddling his waist.

She poised the dagger over his throat, breathing calmly.

"Looks like I win."

Yusuke smiled, "You're good, we should fight again sometime."

She smiled, standing to help him up, "Fine but this time, don't make me straddle you."

As they had taken up recently, Kikiyo smacked on him the derriere as he walked away, a grin spreading across his face.

Spyk and Han wanted to go next, Han throwing off her jacket to reveal a one sleeved blue shirt with 'Fuck life before it fucks you.' She stretched quickly, distracting Spyk from creating a strategy.

"Well, I guess we should be fighting, shouldn't we?" she asked, smirking seductively at him.

He wrapped a chain around his right hand, holding more in his left hand loosely, "Yep, I get permission to touch you."

She pulled her stilettos from the hiding places, holding them in her hands while studying his stance. Before she could react, the chain shot at her, but she quickly deflected it with an energy shield. It crashed into the brick, reverting back to its original course and wrapping her leg in metal. She smirked, throwing the stilettos at him, giving them an energy boost for speed. They ripped through places of his clothing, though missing his skin. He smirked, running around the arena. She broke free of his metal encasement, catching up with him and throwing a punch.

He grabbed her wrist, moving it off course while his other hand slapped her butt. She growled, throwing a backhanded punch at him, which connected with his cheek. He flew across the arena and crashed into the wall with enough force to break the brick. He rubbed her cheek, smirking still as he got up.

"Nice one, honey. Always know what to do."

Han wasted no time; she flew at him, registering the slight movement off to her left. As she reached Spyk, the chains encircled her whole body, the tip on her throat.

Spyk smiled, touching her cheek lovingly, "I win, sweetheart."

Han nodded, "Okay, now stop being kinky and let me go," which he did.

Sinamon and Hiei stepped up, each having unsheathed their swords.

"It seems we always have to fight, huh?" Sinamon joked.

He nodded, tossing his cape off, letting it fly in the breeze. Sinamon smiled, her eyes wandering over his muscled chest though she had already seen it before. He disappeared only to reappear behind her. Sinamon however was waiting for it. She turned quickly, metal and metal clicking together as both their Energy surrounded them as they continued blocking, dodging, and moving as if to their own music. It surprised them when both their swords broke from how much power they were exerting. Sinamon flew at him, her fist clothed in blackish-silver flames while Hiei made a small sword of fire. Sinamon blocked his attack, throwing punches relentlessly while Hiei blocked with his own energy.

"You're a little slow, Hiei," Sinamon coaxed, noticing the blank look in his eyes.

He growled, throwing himself behind his attack as he sliced at Sinamon, sending her to defense.

She tried moving faster, trying to get the upper hand though failing.

"Hiei! It's just training!" Sinamon yelled, trying to stop him.

She slipped up, his sword cutting lightly through her shoulder, allowing a small stream of blood to flow from the wound. She grasped her shoulder, staring at him confused. He grabbed her roughly, bringing her closer to him. He smirked maliciously, his eyes black as he slammed his lips to hers. Everyone watching stared at them confused while some, Yusuke, Spyk, and Kikiyo had their mouths open in disbelief.

He ran his hand down her neck and across her shoulder, stopping at the cut. He opened his eyes, deepening the kiss while staring at Sinamon's fear filled eyes. He pulled the skin apart, feeling the blood flow over his fingers. Sinamon's eyes filled instead with pain. He smiled slightly while, still kissing her, slipped his finger inside the fresh wound, thoroughly coating it with her hot blood, feeling the flesh around his finger.

Sinamon tried to scream but Hiei kept her silent, his finger probing the wound. He finally pulled it out, also pulling back from Sinamon. She started to collapse, but his arm kept her from doing so by holding her around the waist. His eyes were locked on hers as she gasped for breath, watching him bring his finger to his mouth. He licked it, the blood flowing over his tongue as he closed his eyes in ecstasy.

He leaned in and whispered, "Your blood is delicious. I believe I'll make you my own."

Sinamon grabbed her arm, trying to pull away from him. He tightened his hold, kissing her again roughly. She tried to hurt him but she could never get enough momentum. She stared at him, watching his eyes suddenly come to life, staring at her shocked. Pulling back, he glanced at his hand, seeing, smelling her blood on him. He let her go, watching her fall to the ground. For a moment, his eyes clouded with betrayal and fear, fear of himself.

He began to shake, staring at her as if he could not remember what had just happened.

Sinamon stared at him, seeing the look in his eyes as he made to leave. She grabbed his arm lightly, pulling herself up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding his rigid body close.

"Hiei, what's happening to you?" she asked, feeling her fear disappear.

He stood completely still, whispering back, "I don't know but we shouldn't be this close till I do know."

He gave her a quick hug back before turning and leaving. Sinamon collapsed back onto the ground, holding her arm while staring at him as he left. Not only did he not remember but she could feel the fear radiating from him. She bit back a sob as tears flowed down her cheeks.

Something was happening and no one seemed able to stop it. It scared her beyond anything she had had to face in her lives.

Spyk and Yusuke looked at each other before laughing, grabbing their stomachs while bending over.

"Man, I never thought I'd see him do that," Yusuke gasped out, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Kikiyo and Han looked at each other concerned, their eyes following the path in which Sinamon had taken that Hiei had gone down. They knew something was not right with Hiei. It seemed he

was changing before their eyes.

"We've got to talk to Lord Inari ASAP," Han whispered so no one but Kikiyo could hear.

She nodded, rolling her eyes at the two who had yet to stop laughing.

"Spyk, knock it off or you'll be sleeping by yourself," Han yelled over her shoulder.

Spyk's mouth fell open in disbelief, his eyes coated with fear, "You're not serious, are you?"

Han and Kikiyo began laughing, turning away from the boys. It seemed they still were able to have the upper hand even if the boys could fight better. They were weak when it came to thinking over what the girls could possibly plan.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Kikiyo lightly pushed open the door, peeking in to see Kurama seated behind a desk, his back to her while he studied for school. She had given up trying to stay away from him, after all he was Kurama. Anything he wanted he easily got, like her. Anyway if Hiei could openly make out with Sinamon with no regrets, so could she. She walked up and lightly massaged his shoulders, feeling him lean back as she wanted.

She straddled his lap, her arms resting around his neck, "Hey, you hear about Hiei and Sin?"

He nodded, nuzzling her shoulder affectionately, "Yep, Yusuke told me."

"Good, then we can skip talk and go straight to bed."

Kurama chuckled, kissing her neck, "I'm really tired."

Kikiyo nodded, finally allowing exhaustion to set in from the lack of sleep the last two nights plus having to deal with the power boost. He suddenly scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed, lying down next to her. He made it so she was pressed completely to him before he fell asleep.

Hiei sat in the darkness on the windowsill, a small dagger gleaming in his hand. He continually ran his finger lightly up the edge of the blade, thinking. Sinamon came in and immediately saw him. She flipped on the light without hesitation and slowly approached him.

"Hiei, what are you doing here?"

He continued staring out the window, but spoke to her, "You deserve to know. After all, you need to know you're safe from…me."

Sinamon froze as Hiei stood up, standing two steps in front of him.

He raised the dagger over his wrist and smiled sadly, "I'm going to kill myself, so I came to say good-bye."

She fell to her knees in front of him in shock, "Hiei, I won't let you… You can't…"

"No, I will not become some brainless Youkai! I won't desiccate the sinless! Not like I did you!"

Sinamon instinctively touched her now healed arm, "Do you really believe I'm sinless? I've killed, murdered more than you can remember. If you kill yourself than so will I."

She did not notice as tears fell in torrents from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks as she leaned her forehead on Hiei's thigh. He instinctively tightened his hold on the hilt, accidentally cutting a small line across his wrist, drawing a thin line of blood.

"Don't you get it, Hiei? It's not you. Yoshi must have done something. We'll figure out how to fix it, but you can't give up. We need you to help us defeat Tamamo," she cried, uncaring if he thought her weak.

"No, you need Yama's powers, not me."

"No!" she slammed her fist into his thigh in anger, "Don't you see? I need you. You can't do this. You're the only one that knows how I feel, the only one I can relate to. I know you don't care about me, but please, just don't do this. I'm-I'm begging you!"

She no longer could find her voice and broke down, nearly crumbling to the floor. His hold on the knife slackened, clattering noisily as it dropped to the floor. Hiei fell to his knees before Sinamon, frozen by what she had said.

Sinamon finally calmed enough to speak after a few moments. She grabbed Hiei's hand and ran her finger around the small cut.

"Why? Why would you even think to do this?" she whispered to him.

"You're… You're an Angel to me. What I did is called blood rape in the Makai. I…" he trailed off.

"You thought killing yourself would make it alright?! Hiei, I've never trusted anyone since I left Kuronue and Kurama in my old life. No one accepted me, they only feared me. You…you trusted me and helped me. You showed me people will accept you when they really care about you no matter what you've done. I could have easily chickened out, killed myself, but I just knew you were there and wouldn't allow that. We need you. The team needs you. Hell, the three worlds need you. But I need you to get me through this."

While saying what she had wanted to for months, she seemingly examined the wound. He reached out and lifted her chin so he could stare into her eyes. The tears still streamed down her cheeks, shining in the light.

As he wiped them away, he said, "I won't leave. I need you too. I want you. I've wanted you since I tasted your blood. I want your blood, but I want your body. I've wanted you since the dungeons."

He leaned in slowly, his hand moving to her neck. Sinamon also leaned forward, placing her hand that was tracing the cut on his upper thigh. Their lips gently met. The kiss shocked Sinamon. It was nothing like the kiss in the courtyard. It was gentle, searching, and almost hesitant. She became eager to deepen it and crawled into his lap, letting him gently probe her mouth as she did the same to his.

He finally pulled back saying, "I want you now."

He grabbed her hand that was on his thigh and slid it a little higher to show her affect on him.

"Then have me, take me," she whispered back.

Hiei shook his head, "No. Don't tempt me, I will do so. You should wait. With heat season, even with the medicine, you would still get pregnant."

Sinamon nodded, resting her head on his shoulder, feeling his hand trail down to the small of her back and begin tracing small circles. She snuggled to him, content to be wrapped in his natural warmth.

"Take me to bed. I want to sleep with you," she whispered.

He shook his head, "If I do, it will just be sex. If that's what you want. But I know you want more."

"Love-making, I know. I just want to snuggle with you. Have you hold me through the night."

Inside she felt her heart breaking. She knew when she saw the blood on his wrist, she knew she had fallen for him, had fallen like never before. It hurt her to know that he could never feel that way for her. He lifted her in his arms and laid her on her bed, lying behind her while holding her close. He laid there, unable to get to sleep. He would not take her one wish. The fight with Tamamo was coming up and this would be their last night together. Whether he would admit it or not, he knew he felt for her. But if they could not find away to stop or counteract the drug, he would have to end his life.

He didn't want her depending on him to always be there. Sometime he wouldn't and when that time came, he could only hope she would be able to survive without him. He felt her hand snake under his shirt to rest lightly on his chest as she snuggled closer. Even as she slept, he could still feel a few tears sneak out of her eyes, falling to his chest. It hurt him more than he had thought it would to see her cry but even with that agony ripping his heart apart, he knew she would always care for him.

It was the way she looked at him as he held her that told him so. She was in love with him and now it was only he that held them back. He leaned in and lightly kissed her forehead. Smiling, he closed his eyes to let sleep take over him. It was nice to fall asleep with someone in his arms; someone he cared about and knew cared about him.

Han and Kikiyo sat before Lord Inari's desk. Kikiyo was half asleep, but this was the only time Lord Inari could see them. He entered in momentarily, his arms full of papers. He set them beside his desk before he sat down.

"Now what is of such importance that you had to call at night?" he asked tiredly.

He looked exhausted, showing how much he depended on his power.

"There's something going on with Hiei. He blood raped Sinamon today. He's acting as if he's just a blood thirsty Youkai," Han informed him.

He sat up straight, his attention now on the two before him, "When did this take affect the first time?"

Kikiyo leaned heavily on her hand while answering, "Today when we were training."

Lord Inari nodded thoughtfully, suddenly grabbing up a piece of paper. He scribbled on it, working quickly while seemingly ignoring the two.

Finally he spoke, "Take this to KoEnma. I want a full report on the status of Hiei and Sinamon. The barrier is in the process of becoming whole around the Makai as well as the Reikai. As long as they fall in love subconsciously the barriers will be alright."

He grew silent, dismissing them as he turned to look out the window into lonely space. It was the reason he had chosen the moon as his kingdom. Because it reminded him of the loneliness of being a god and Immortal. He sighed, his fist clenching the arm of his chair.

"I will not let you be hurt. You must stay away from him or you shall become a soul with nothing left. I will not allow that!"

He threw a ball of fire at the wall, watching nothing happen to the fireproof brick. It was shocking that Hiei could be so weak as to let something be given to him that could endanger the mission completely.

Spyk sat beside Niri, watching the young boy sleep without fear. He could feel Yoshi approaching, it seemed the fight would take place near the palace. Niri snuggled closer to him, his mouth parted as he continued to sleep. Spyk suddenly got up, not wanting to disturb him.

He already knew that he would have to leave him and would be unable to know if he would come back.

He had grown to think of Niri as his son and did not want to leave him alone to fend for himself at the age of 11. He laid his hand on the glass, watching the torches of Yoshi's small army teleport the fortress that held Tamamo. He felt Han enter their bedroom, her eyes finding him by the window.

"Spyk, what's going on?' she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

He turned, looking down at her sadly though his eyes glittering with love, "The final battle is here. I just want you to know, I love you, Trist. I love you beyond words. If either or both of us die, we'll meet again in our next life."

Han nodded, running her hands over his hair, just glad to touch him in anyway possible. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his bare skin under her cheek.

"Spyk, let's go to my room. Tonight I want to be with just you. I want to able to feel you when I move," she whispered, her lips brushing his skin with every word.

He nodded, pulling her tightly to him. He never wanted to lose his family but it seemed that it was probably going to happen. Han and Niri had become his world and now because of some renegade Kitsune, he was going to lose all that he had found in the little time. He wanted to just hold them both, crush them to him and never let go but life had to carry on, they had to get through the battle or die trying.

Yoshi motioned his servants to leave the room, leaving him alone with Tamamo. He crossed the room to stand before her throne where she was perched calmly. She glanced at him, offering him no welcome.

"I do believe, Yoshi, that I should lead this attack. If I am correct, I do believe all of those who were loyal to you have betrayed us," she said calmly, the anger unhidden from coating her voice.

Yoshi bowed his head as if ashamed, "My Lady, I would not wish to have you hurt in anyway. Allow me and my men to take control of them and allow you the…"

"You wish me to seem a coward! I will lead the assault and you, peasant, will either win this or die in vain! Now leave me, you worthless boy, I wish not to be in your company," with a wave of her hand, he was thrown form the room.

He hit the wall, bracing himself from getting any serious damage. He growled, throwing a punch

at the wall. He knew then and there he had allowed himself to be played by the other women.

He vowed to himself to get her strength so she would be lost and he the grand emperor. If at all possible, he would even join KoEnma in her destruction, only to betray him to get what he sought. No one would defeat him and he knew it. With a glare, he stormed from the hall, throwing himself into his study as if it were nothing but everyday life as he planned his betrayal.

KoEnma awoke by being shaken by Ayame persistently. He rubbed his eyes, trying to be calm and not react outright to the look urgency on her face.

"What is it, Love?" he questioned tiredly.

She handed him a paper, folded in a square, "This is from Lord Inari, it tells the location of Tamamo."

The door burst open at the moment, the small shadow of Niri filling the gap, "Yoshi and Tamamo are outside the palace, they're beginning an assault on us as we speak."

KoEnma jumped from the bed, throwing the covers over Ayame as he raced from the room.

He grabbed the thick golden cord that hung just inside his room. With a quick yank, an alarm sounded throughout the palace, awakening all the occupants for battle.

"Niri, get the Ferrygirls and take them to the catacombs below the palace. If it becomes worse, take them through the portal," he ordered.

Niri scurried from the room, following orders quickly. KoEnma turned to Ayame and kissed her soundly.

"Love, you must go. I will return once this is over, but as for now, you must leave. I love you dearly," he kissed her again, this time deepening it.

She buried her head into his shoulder, "I love you as well, KoEnma. Remember, you must return to…us."

He nodded before his eyes widened, "Us? You mean, you're pregnant?"

She nodded, blushing slightly. KoEnma kissed her again, his hand touching her belly.

He knelt down before her, kissing her stomach, "I shall return to you both no matter what I must do."

She smiled, running her hand through his hair before he stood and left. She quickly dressed and hurried to the catacombs to meet the other Ferrygirls. They needed to see her strong or they would become too fearful of their fates. Everyone knew of her relationship with KoEnma and they depended on her as if she were the ruler of the Reikai and not her lover.

KoEnma found the whole team within his office and decided against sitting down.

"Listen up, those of you with our power are to find Tamamo and Yoshi. The others, Kurama,

Kuwabara, you will each lead a platoon of the army against the small fraction that fights us," he ordered loudly.

They nodded, dividing into their respected groups. Sinamon grabbed Hiei's hand, squeezing it to give him strength. Kikiyo hugged Kurama tightly, kissing him quickly before joining the others.

Spyk held Han close as they stood to the side with their group. Kurama, after letting go of Kikiyo, hugged Sinamon, rubbing her hair.

He smiled to Hiei, glancing at their joined hands, "Take care of her for me."

Hiei nodded though not sure of how he would be able to do so when he would probably be the one to hurt her. Sinamon lightly kissed him on the lips, smirking before drawing her sword. The room was silent, the uneasiness palpable.

Sinamon thrust her sword into the air, the light gleaming off the black fire metal, "We will break their wills and cut their throats! Today will be our day for victory!"

The others smiled, yelling agreements to settle the unease of theirs. KoEnma smiled, looking at each in turn before addressing them as a group.

"Listen closely, each and everyone of you has grown in character since we met. Now if it becomes so, we may lose some of our people to this battle, but remember the overall result.

We must be ready to pay the consequences if we fail. Go out there and win this before Tamamo can take over what we hold dear." They nodded, each pulling their weapons near them.

"And you have been a great ruler and led us well… mostly," they laughed at Yusuke's joke, "but now we will show you we can handle as much power as you can! Let's go kick some ass!"

They cheered loudly, hardly able to hear KoEnma say, "You heard him! Give no mercy!"

They charged out of the room, Kurama and Kuwabara leading the way with two of the platoons. Closely behind came the Chosen Ones, moving to the stables. Outside were dragons, their scales glowing in the firelight. They mounted quickly, taking flight in a hurry, wishing to end this war.

From the air, they watched the opposing sides crash into each other. KoEnma's army overrunning Tamamo's with ease as the others charged towards the fortress. They charged towards Tamamo and Yoshi's energy signatures that only fueled their anger and resolve to kill those who threatened their world. It was now their job to keep the worlds safe and no one could save them. If death was the cost, they were willing to pay it as long as they knew those they loved were safe. It was something none of them had expected to carry on their shoulders

at their age but they were prepared.

If anyone doubted they could do it, they would have to prove them wrong. They would strike

Tamamo down and bring her followers to their knees. Sinamon smiled to her companions as they took flight over the battlefield. This was all they had left; this was what they were fighting for. If nothing else, Tamamo deserved death for killing those they cared about. Everyone glanced around before concentrating on their destination ahead. People might have thought of them as weak at one point but now, they were ready to kill and die to try.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Kurama and Kuwabara watched, momentarily frozen as the dragons landed within the fortress.

They nodded to each other, both feeling the need to fight coursing through their veins.

Kuwabara made his sword, the orange raw energy crackling as he charged the group of

Tamamo's men before him. Kurama shook his head slightly, pulling the rose out of his hair. He smelt the rose, his emerald eyes looking at the rose as a lover would his next mate.

With a swish of his arm, the petals danced around him as the stem extended into a thorned whip. Many of the Youkai recognized Kurama's attack and fear mixed with panic overcame them. He charged, his whip cutting, slicing easily through the enemy. His eyes became hard as he felt droplets of blood splatter him.

Kuwabara fought beside him, extending him sword to cut through the platoons that served Tamamo. They were severely outnumbered, KoEnma's forces quickly taking the upper hand. They were breaking trough the troops as a steak knife would cut through cheese. Before long, the troops were split, each side completely surrounded by KoEnma's forces. Kurama concentrated on the task at hand, trying to ignore the feeling of foreboding that he felt whenever he caught a glimpse of the castle.

It was made of black stone and seemed to almost blend in with the shadows that engulfed the lower levels. Kuwabara seemed to feel the same, their backs suddenly becoming pressed together.

"We've gotta get this done and quickly. Something bad's 'bout to happen," Kuwabara yelled over the battle cries of many.

Kurama nodded, slicing deeply into ten Youkai at once. He could not feel sorry for the countless Youkai that would lose their lives for their worthless cause. It was their choice to join Tamamo and now they had to pay with the ultimate price; death. Kuwabara yelped, grabbing hold of his leg as he glared at the Youkai below him. With a swish of his sword, the Youkai laid lifeless in a sea of blood.

"Kurama! Watch my back real quick!"

Kurama swung his whip around watching for possible advancements from the others while

Kuwabara wrapped his leg with the sleeve of his shirt. The wound wasn't too deep but deep enough to likely need stitches if they didn't have an effective healer near by. Luckily KoEnma had learned to keep a healer in the castle at all times in case the Spirit Detectives were injured which seemed more likely than not.

The dragons landed silently within the castle walls. They quickly climbed down, hiding in the shadows as they approached the inner sanctum where Tamamo would no doubt be. They moved quickly but silently so no one would know of their immediate approach. Torches of black flames darkly lit the corridors. The rock was obsidian and reflected their movements. It split into three smaller corridors, none of which led in the same direction before collapsing into dark.

"We'll split into three groups," Yusuke whispered.

Han and Spyk took the middle corridor, Spyk using a lighter to light the way. Yusuke took Kikiyo down the left corridor, his energy casting blue shadows on the wall. Sinamon and Hiei took the right, each creating a ball of fire so they could be prepared to attack anyone or thing if needed. She moved stealthily down the corridor, her personality changing completely from what she had always made seem her true self.

She put out both their firelights as footsteps approached. Grabbing him, she pulled him into a tight alcove carefully hidden behind a canvas of golden silk depicting a beautiful golden two tailed fox. Sinamon was pressed to Hiei's chest, her left hand grasping a dagger as the footsteps drew near before passing.

"Lady Tamamo believes our army will fail her," a low voice spoke, his voice resounding down the corridor.

Sinamon could feel Hiei's eyes on her. She could feel his want for her pressed against her body. Once she was sure the patrol guards had passed, she slid out, hurrying to get down the corridor.

"We're close, she should be right around this bend and through the double doors," Sinamon hissed as she moved quickly down the hall, feeling how Hiei's energy was changing as he hurried after her.

She threw open the oak doors, charging into the room. It was carved all from silver marble; two thrones covered with rich red silk and velvet coverlets. On top the thrones sat Yoshi and Tamamo, both smirking at her arrival. There were two other sets of double doors that remained closed.

"Get ready to go down, Yoshi. My battles with you," Sinamon yelled, drawing two of her katana's in anger.

Yoshi and Tamamo laughed, the laughter filling the room in a few seconds.

"You stupid, naïve child. I will not be battling you unless you are able to defeat my new servant," Yoshi answered, amusement coating his voice, "Hiei, do with her as you wish."

Sinamon spun around to see Hiei begin to approach her, his eyes were narrowed and the color

had changed to blood red.

"Hiei? Hiei, stop. What are you doing?" she questioned as her grip on the swords slackened.

He smirked, his hands reaching out to her, claws glinting in the light. Everything about him had changed. His nails were long and pointed, black as the abyss. His eyes were a deep blood red that gleamed angrily at her as he approached. His skin seemed waxen, seemingly falling away from the bones as he moved towards her.

"Come on, Hiei. Quit kidding. We have to destroy Yoshi, he's controlling you. I thought you never wanted to be controlled by anyone. Snap out of it!"

Nothing she said brought him from his stupor. He approached uncaring of what she was saying, his eyes glinting darkly as he smirked at her.

Spyk beheaded two patrol guards with his chain. He could feel Hiei's power, it seemed to be trying to outpower Sinamon's.

"Come on, we've got to hurry. Something isn't right with Hiei and Sinamon," he grabbed her hand, dragging her down the hall.

"Oh no! Spyk, I have to tell you something. Yoshi injected Hiei with something and it turns him into a blood thirsty Youkai," she yelled running faster.

Spyk froze, staring at her, "He didn't. Is that why he blood raped Sinamon?" She nodded, "Damn, the only way to free him from that is to give him blood willingly."

It was then Han's turn to drag him down the corridor. Knowing Sinamon she'd do it without realizing it. Once Hiei was free, he would try and kill Yoshi, more than likely ending his life in the process. She couldn't let that happen, they needed to fight strategically, not on instincts.

"Dammit! Why didn't you say anything before, Spyk?" She yelled.

He shrugged, "Geez, how was I to know it wasn't some sick sex game those two played. Han, they're not exactly what I'd call normal."

"Shut up and run!"

Sinamon dodged his grip, falling to the floor and crawling away while stumbling to her feet.

"I don't want to hurt you," she yelled.

"Want? Yes, I want you," he replied, his voice low and barely more than a whisper.

Sinamon shivered, moving a little slower than she used to. At the first moment, Hiei grabbed her and pulled her to him. She felt something wet fall down her neck drawing her attention.

"Please Sinamon, kill me, I don't want to hurt you. There isn't a cure, please," he whispered, his lips coming closer to the skin on her neck.

Suddenly she felt the sharp pins being shoved into the delicate skin that was her neck. He bit down harder, feeling the blood flow smoothly into his mouth. She winced, her mouth falling open in silent agony as the pain spread over her neck.

Finally she gasped out, "It'll be alright. Take what you need from me, but just don't ever lose your soul. You must… promise me that…"

She felt her strength drain from her body, her limbs falling uselessly to her side as her vision began to grow dark at the edges.

"Please, just tell him… I love him…"

Everything left her then. The world went black as the man loosened his hold on her. He stared down at her, his eyes changing from blood red to his usual ruby red though filled with guilt and fear. He collapsed to the floor, her blood still coating his mouth. Her last words resounded in his head as he cradled her.

"What have I done? Sinamon, don't leave me. I need you. I – I – I love you!" he yelled as he buried his head in her neck.

Somewhere deep in Sinamon's mind she heard him. Her soul drew towards him, wanting to have just one last kiss before succumbing to death. She slowly stirred, her hand lightly cupping his cheek, even though tears slid down them, moistening both as their skin touched.

"Please, just one last kiss and I'll never bother you again," she begged.

He leaned in, "If that is what will keep you, then I refuse to supply you with it."

His body, or perhaps his heart, had other thoughts as he pressed his lips to hers. She weakly kissed him back, her body wishing to sleep.

"Hold me closer…just a little while longer," she requested, snuggling to his chest for warmth.

He nodded, holding back his sobs that were slowly breaking his heart. Her breathing slowed, her eyes sliding closed as she sighed in his arms, her chest now completely still.

He yelled in agony, a thousand knives driving deep into his heart as he cried his soul out though knowing the grief would remain no matter what he did. He knew only one thing: it was Yoshi's fault she was dead. Now, he would pay and pay dearly. He gently pressed his lips to her palm, feeling the heat begin to drain as she turned stiff.

"I will avenge you. I promise," he whispered sadly, wanting to continue holding her.

He finally laid her down, her hands clasped over her stomach. She looked like an Angel resting after a battle. He watched silently as she was reverted back into her Ningen form, his eyes clouding with tears. He needed her, needed with more than his whole body, soul, heart and mind. Nothing would bring her back and it was his fault she was gone, his fault she wouldn't be there when he needed her, when he wanted her. He never even got to really know her but she had somehow stolen his heart.

He pressed his lips to hers, whimpering slightly when she didn't kiss him back. He had to destroy Yoshi, if not to bring her back, to avenge her. She deserved that much. He stood slowly, turning from her body to face the thrones on the other side of the room. Both would pay with their lives, both Yoshi and Tamamo.

Kikiyo and Yusuke burst through the double doors just as Spyk and Han did. They all froze, watching Yoshi slowly descend from the throne. Han gasped, pointing to where Sinamon lay, dead. Kikiyo and Han nodded, moving towards her body.

"Guys, distract Tamamo. We'll get the power we need," Kikiyo said quietly so Tamamo would not hear.

They nodded, watching Hiei stand before the throne, his sword glinting as he glared up at him.

Licking at his frame was the black fire from the deepest pits of the Makai. Spyk and Yusuke moved around to the other side of Hiei, their movement drawing Tamamo's attention.

"How fine of you to join us. I believe I will deal with you. Yoshi, kill the other Forbidden Child," Tamamo said as she appeared before the boys.

Han and Kikiyo tuned out the battle around them, their hands frozen over Sinamon's body, pulling Inari's power from her. It floated into the air in the shape of an orb. They smiled, turning to the battle.

Hiei glared up at Yoshi, feeling the unhidden anger growing the longer Yoshi took. As Yoshi stepped to the floor, he drew his long sword.

"We'll do this one way," Hiei growled, "We'll charge each other. Only the strongest will survive."

Yoshi nodded, "Fine, it's your life that will be forfeit, not mine. Of course, you wish to join your lover in the next life." He took on his stance, smirking, "Tell me, how did her blood taste?"

Hiei charged without thought, his vision clouded by the red of raw rage. He felt his sword dig deep into flesh, feeling the other bite into his stomach, slicing through his insides. His vision cleared as he smelt Yoshi's blood. Looking down, he found Yoshi with a sword through his abdomen.

"To bad you never noticed my stance," Yoshi gasped out.

Hiei looked down at himself to find Yoshi's sword angled upward through his stomach, the tip piercing out the other side between two ribs. He pulled himself off the sword, stumbling back before falling next to Sinamon. He touched her cheek, spreading his blood over the pale skin.

"Wait for me. I'm…" his head dropped down onto Sinamon's shoulder.

Han and Kikiyo gasped, tears coming to their eyes as he laid dead beside the woman he loved.

They wiped them away, turning back to the battle, they needed to defeat Tamamo now. They couldn't concentrate on those lost until the end. Both though promised to bury Hiei and Sinamon next to each other when the time came. They deserved that much after all they had been through.

Lord Inari glanced at the console, watching two red lights as they glared at him through the darkness of the room. He had felt her die, had felt her soul leave her body as his energy was partially returned. It hurt to know his one love was gone but as he stared at the balance between the three worlds, he realized they died but left a legend behind. The barriers were even now between all three worlds. No one or thing could pass between them without the use of a portal controlled by the deities.

"Why couldn't you let someone else do this? Why did you have to make me choose you?" he whispered sadly, feeling the tears begin to fall from his eyes.

He knew he had to be ready to bury her once it was over completely. He knew the inscription he would have to use on the tomb she was placed in.

'Loving Daughter and friend; loyal till the end of life and further'

He smiled sadly, watching his hand rest on the desk before as it shook. He had never felt so empty in his whole life and now nothing could change that.

Yusuke and Spyk were dealt no better as Tamamo witnessed Yoshi drop to unconsciousness. She was enraged by how weak those who followed her were. She threw several black holes, leaving nothing but empty space. It was only to distract them as she slammed into them with her claws extended and ready to kill. It slashed part of Yusuke's arm while Spyk dropped to the floor. He quickly wrapped her lower body in chain. Yusuke shot a Triple Spirit Gun that struck straight on.

Spyk's chains dropped as she seemingly disappeared. He smirked at Yusuke though continually scanning for her energy signature.

"Yusuke, look out!" Han yelled only seconds before he was struck.

Tamamo's hand protruded from his chest. She licked Yusuke's cheek with her dog-like tongue, not caring that his blood was coating her.

"You would have made a good sex toy. Oh well, I can have who I wish," she ripped her hand from his chest.

Yusuke fell down, never standing a chance with the gaping hole that was in his chest. Spyk drew his chains up, watching closely for Tamamo's next move. She was shrouded in the darkness, the evil of her soul masking what should have been seen. She flew out of one of the black holes, charging him. He threw his chains at her, moving from the way as she broke through the metal.

"Spyk!" Han yelled, struggling to enter the barrier that blocked them from the battle.

Spyk drew his dagger, slicing at her, piercing her shoulder. With a ball of darkness, she flung him away, hearing him slam into the wall. Han gave a pitiful cry as she fell to her knees. Pierced through Spyk's chest was a silver marble spike that was now covered and dripping with Spyk's blood.

"Come on, the worlds need us," Kikiyo said, "Avenge him by helping me kill her."

Han stood up; her violet eyes blank as if she were in a trance. She grabbed Kikiyo's hands and raised them in the air. The area danced with energy. Both Kikiyo and Han glowing, their energy twining together.

"Concentrate on your energy," Han requested, her eyes closed.

Kikiyo stared at her for a moment, pity for her friend pouring from her very being at the thought of what the woman had lost. They had but one thing left to offer, all their energies combined to save the worlds.

"I said concentrate on your energy!"

Kikiyo nodded, closing her eyes while concentrating all her energy into a ball deep within herself as she listened to Han begin to chant.

Kikiyo followed, hearing Han speak, "Friends, companions of war, give us your powers. Defeat those traitors who killed you, stole you from us."

Together, they continued to chant, four soul-like orbs floating towards them. One blue, one black, one silver, the last blackish-silver. One by one they dropped into the circle, becoming part of the power. Han and Kikiyo could feel the powers becoming one. They could also feel Tamamo preparing a blast towards them. Han opened her eyes and released her hold on Kikiyo's right hand. They spread them apart, the energy ball growing in both power and speed.

"Now die!" Tamamo yelled, releasing the energy blast.

Han and Kikiyo did the same, the blasts meeting in a blinding light. The whole room began to crumble from the strength of the blast. It suddenly imploded, a huge shockwave throwing all three of them down. The darkness that followed was nothing any had felt as they were engulfed in flames. Kikiyo watched as Han tried to crawl to where Spyk's body had been moments before but the girl fell short, her body giving way to death. With a sigh, Kikiyo knew it was her time to go as well.

"Good-bye...Kurama."

The last words echoed loudly through the collapsing room, flowing through the air though never to reach the ears of the one it was intended for.

KoEnma stood by his office window, watching the battle taking place just outside the palace gates. Suddenly the screen began to beep, drawing him to it. He had felt it when Yusuke had died and had feared the worse. He pressed a button and heard each god and goddess report one by one that the others were gone.

A huge crash drew him back to the window and as he stood there, the fortress came crashing down. He leaned heavily on the glass, resting his forehead on the cool glass. Suddenly he felt excruciating pain in his side. He swung away from the window hurriedly, staring in shock.

"Sonma, what are you doing?" he asked surprised.

"Did you think everyone was loyal to you? What a joke," Sonma, KoEnma's Captain of the Guard, laughed.

He swung at KoEnma, the blade biting into his shoulder. KoEnma continually stumbled away, fearing for his life. He had hardly any energy left from the power binding. He suddenly felt something sharp hit his leg so quickly picked it up and threw it in front of him. Sonma ran straight into it, the blade of the short sword cutting deeply into him. He fell dead onto KoEnma's desk, letting KoEnma fall back onto the floor.

He gasped for breath, clutching the sword in his hands desperately while staring at the blank, dull eyes of his guards' man. He never would have thought to check his palace for traitors. It seemed obvious that everyone in the Reikai would wish to help save their lives instead of forfeiting them to a dark Sorceress.

"Please, let them be alright," he whispered, throwing the sword away as his gaze once again returned to the window, watching the cloud of dust climb steadily into the sky.

Dawn was just beginning to peak over the mountains in the distance, the sky becoming painted red like the field before the castle. He could only hope most of that blood were from injuries instead of the life forces of those slain. He wanted to know that everything would be all right but it would only be okay if the Spirit Detectives were still alive.

He glanced at the controls, finding it odd that the souls of the Chosen Ones had yet to come to the palace. The only answer was what he had hoped wouldn't happen. It seemed they might have lost them forever, the souls disappearing as if they never existed.

Kurama counted over the dead, seeing how many they had lost, KoEnma would ask. They had been caught surprised when the fortress fell, dragging many of them down. Kuwabara limped up, the sleeve from his shirt tied tightly over the wound in his leg.

"How many did we lose?" he asked quietly.

"One platoon in the crash but…. I can't feel the others energy signature," he whispered the last part, afraid to say it himself.

Kuwabara nodded, looking around before placing his hand on his shoulder, "Come on, we've got to get the injured help."

Kurama nodded, "I'll be there in a minute."

He dropped to his knees, staring straight at the rubble. A hand on his shoulder made him jump. Lord Inari stood there, staring also at the rubble. He fell to his knees beside Kurama and for the first time, cried openly. He had felt when Sinamon passed, felt the utter grief of losing someone he loved. He could only imagine what Kurama had felt in the loss of his sister. Kurama stayed in silent company, not letting the tears he felt deep down come forth.

Kuwabara watched every once in a while as he helped the others get the injured back to the castle for medical attention. He watched as Lady Nonomiko pulled Lord Inari into her arms, holding him as he cried. She knew of Lord Inari's love for Sinamon, knew how much he had wished her to be his. She, of course, also knew that Hiei and Sinamon were soul mates. Just like Han and Spyk, Kurama and Kikiyo, Kuwabara and Yukina were. Gods and goddess' though never had soul mates, they had to design their own future and work harder for love.

"They can't be gone. I mean, they had the power of the gods," Kurama whispered, trying to imagine what Sinamon would say.

Another thought struck him, Shiori. How was he supposed to tell her Sinamon was dead and not tell her about his other life? He wished beyond anything that she was back so he could hear her laugh, tease her. The one he missed the most was Kikiyo. It was hard to believe that she would never be back, that he would never hold her again. He had wished to make her his wife; to have a family before the year was out. He would be graduating from Sarayashiki High next year and had planned on moving back to the Makai to live with Kikiyo. He would continue his work with KoEnma but mostly live to protect his family.

"You know, Kurama, Ayame is pregnant. You know what they say? From love, loss, and war is born a new life," Lady Nonomiko whispered.

Kurama nodded, staring still at the rubble, hoping they would rise up. He hoped they would push the boulders aside and stand, injured and bruised but alive. He could stand if they were covered in blood as long as they were able to live, able to smile even slightly. He just wanted to see them. He never realized how much he had wanted for Sinamon and Hiei to admit how they felt about each other. Perhaps that way, he would be able to walk Sinamon up the isle to give herself to Hiei, now he wouldn't even be married.

"Kurama, the wounded are done being transported. We should all report back to the palace now," Kuwabara whispered, helping him up.

Kuwabara had to drag Kurama from the sight. It hurt him just as much to not be able to see his friends again and he knew it would be no better, probably worse for Kurama in losing both Kikiyo and Sinamon. KoEnma, however, needed to know how much was lost in the battle even if it would hurt too much to face the fact.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

KoEnma hugged Ayame, meeting the gods and goddess plus the only two Spirit Detectives left in his newly erected office. His arm and side were bandaged with white gauze. The others finally came in and crowded around, the sadness in the room lowered the joy they should have felt from defeating the greatest evil there was. They had sacrificed a lot to defeat her and still, to them, the sacrifice was too great.

"I know this is hard for us to accept but we have lost the connection with them. Normally we would still feel them slightly because of their souls but…" KoEnma trailed off.

Kuwabara stood up abruptly, "What do you mean? Are you saying that even their souls are lost?"

KoEnma looked down at his desk, trying to avoid eye contact, "We don't know. It seems like they just disappeared."

Kurama had locked his tears away and now sat staring blankly ahead into nothing. He just wanted everything back to normal. He had planned out this great proposal and had planned on actually marrying Kikiyo, not like he had failed to do before. Now not only he had lost the chance to start a real family but also the chance to see Sinamon happily married as well. He would never see his kids running about, tackling his legs whenever he came home. He would never have to have a family reunion to see his mother, sister, or nieces and nephews. There would be none for him to worry about sadly.

"I believe it would be best to let you two go home. We'll meet here again in a day or so to discuss what will be done," KoEnma said, looking at Kuwabara to get Kurama home.

Kuwabara nodded, grabbing Kurama's arm to help him out of the Reikai. Kurama acted like a lost little kid, stumbling blindly to the portal. If it hadn't been for Kuwabara, he undoubtedly would have just sat in the Makai and waited for death, finding no reason to carry on. As it were, Kurama still might just choose that fate. Hopefully though, his mother would be of some help. It was hard to believe that she would have to find out Sinamon was gone. It was hard to believe that they were even gone. Kuwabara had known Yusuke his whole life and Yusuke was never one to give up like this.

Now they had to plan funerals instead of weddings, dig graves instead of planting their roots somewhere. He had lost almost everyone but he knew he had a few others that still needed him. He couldn't give up if just for them, they were well worth it.

The room was dark, carved out of a mountain. A moan filled the room as the six figures before the great god, god of all Immortals, Lord Koro, stirred them from their deathly slumber.

"You, Chosen Ones, are quite interesting to me. For many centuries I have slumbered unaffected by the ways of your worlds, but you interest me," Lord Koro said.

He was humanoid in figure, reaching to be six foot. He was incredibly handsome and held a look of power and wisdom. His hair was brown and fell to his chin, parted on the right side. His skin was darkly tanned though he lived in the darkness of the cave. His eyes were a beautiful silver that shined through the darkness at them.

"What do you mean, we're interesting?" Sinamon coughed out, wondering how they had gotten there.

"Ah, you all sacrificed yourselves to save people you never knew. It's quite unique for this day and age," he continued, "Oh yes, if you have yet to understand, you are all dead."

Silence enveloped the room around them as they froze, their memories clouding their vision.

Han let Spyk hold her, not actually wanting to believe they were dead. His arms felt so real around her that she could not believe it but the god was the most powerful and wise. If any were to be believed, it was him.

"Now none of that. I am trying to decide if I shall allow you to go back to life. Only I have the power to restore lost souls to their bodies."

Sinamon shook her head, watching the others, while knowing only one thing she did not need, but they did.

"Lord Koro, I'd like to talk to you alone if you would allow it."

He nodded, encasing Sinamon and himself inside an invisible room, not caring if the others saw them communicating.

"I have already lived twice and I don't deserve to do so again. Originally I was Kunanai and now I am Sinamon Minamino. I didn't deserve my second life, but I got it. Those guys need to be home. Han and Spyk just adopted a little boy whose eleven, he needs them. And Kikiyo, she's my brother's girlfriend, and though she doesn't know yet, she's pregnant with his child. Not bringing her back is killing an innocent. Yusuke has his whole life ahead of him and is suited to be loved, plus holds a lot of people's fates in his hands. And… and Hiei, he's lost so much. He can't die yet, because he doesn't know himself," her voice cracked, "Please, let them go back. I don't care about me, just let them go home."

Lord Koro smiled, patting her shoulder, "Your mother would be very happy to see how you have changed. You learned the one thing she had strived to teach you. Self-sacrifice. Go, you have much ahead of you."

The invisible wall disappeared but Sinamon stood frozen. Her mother, Sakura had loved to help people and never stopped even when she neared death. She had tried to teach her and her brother that they should only steal if it was to help those less fortunate. She had never understood then, because of how young she was. It was a lesson she knew her mother had died trying to teach people.

"Sinamon? I need to tell you something," Hiei whispered to her.

She turned around, her mind running over her many memories she had locked away to hide the pain. At the sight of Hiei's pained expression and the guilt that plagued his eyes, she locked them away for the time.

"I did not want to kill you. I'm sorry, please forgive me," he said, his voice shaking with emotion.

Sinamon hugged him, holding tight as he tried to push her away, "I meant what I said. I love you. It was something I knew I had to do."

He finally stopped struggling and clasped onto her, burying his head into her shoulder. Lord Koro smiled down at them, he could remember what it was to be young and in love. Hiei clung to her, his mind reeling from all that had happened in the past few hours. He had lost and regained the woman he loved, destroyed the worlds worst enemy and would be returning to his life before.

Kuwabara helped get Kurama into his house. Shiori had him lay down on his couch, unnerved by his eyes that were unfocused and seemingly dead of all signs of life.

"Has he been doing drugs?" she whispered to Kuwabara who shook his head.

"Keep an eye on him, I'll help him to work tomorrow," he whispered.

Shiori nodded, jumping when thunder sounded outside the window, "Are you sure you won't stay the night?"

"Can't. I have my sister to worry about me. Thanks for the offer though," he quickly left the house, letting the rain cover his tears.

He had to be strong; he didn't want his sister to begin to think something was wrong. She may have been older but she depended on him more than he did on she. It was strange but they were all they had left. Their parents had abandoned them at a young age and they had had to work to get to where they were in life. Even if he did want to just lay down and cry till his friends came back, he knew he just couldn't do so. Nothing would change the fact he had lost his best friends to a woman that should have been dead centuries ago.

It was near midnight when someone knocked on the door to the Minamino house. It startled Shiori up, making her glance at Kurama to find he had not moved from where he had been laid. She got up when the knocking continued though louder and more persistent. She opened to door to find three rain-drenched teenagers, one making her heart stop.

"Mom!" Sinamon said, throwing herself into her arms.

At the sound of her voice, Kurama stirred, pulling himself up. Sinamon froze in the doorway, staring at him. It made her smile to see how quickly his eyes lit up upon seeing her. He picked her up in a hug and squeezed her till she was out of breath before he let her down. Even so, he never took his eyes from hers. After a moment, he began searching her for wounds, anything to explain why she was here and not dead.

Kikiyo hesitated in the doorway, smiling slightly at him as his eyes fell on her. He smiled broadly, picking her up and spinning her around with joy. He didn't really care that they were dead before, they were now alive and here with him. He couldn't control the tears that came to his eyes as he gazed at them.

"But how can you guys be here? Tamamo was killed but you guys were gone," he said not thinking of who heard.

Sinamon shrugged, not noticing Shiori standing behind her, "Lord Koro brought us back, said something about this not being over."

Kurama looked back at Kikiyo and succumbed to his urge to kiss her. He tilted her head back as he deepened it, uncaring of who was there. He loved her and the whole world should know.

It hit him then as he suddenly broke the kiss and fumbled through his pocket. He dropped to one knee, scaring Kikiyo.

"Kikiyo, I love you and always will. And I want the world to know. Please, take this ring and become my wife. Will you please marry me?" he said, the three girls mouths falling open.

Kikiyo's eyes were wide as she stared at the ring. It was the one she had loved when they were thieves. It was a Makai diamond wrapped in a ruby shell on a gold band that spiraled with silver.

"Kurama, I-I ... Yes, I'll do it," she hugged him, beyond happy.

Shiori overcame her shock quickly, "Who is she, Shuichi? And where did you meet these two?"

Sinamon froze, turning to her. With a quick glance at Kurama, she directed her mother to the couch for her to sit down.

"Okay. Mom, we have to tell you something. See, we're…Forbidden Children. We're a cross breed between white Kitsune's and black Kitsune's while Kikiyo is a full bred Kitsune. And the reason we disappear for long periods of time is because we're fighting evil Youkai that are a danger to all Ningens. So you know, no worries. I mean, we love you. It's just we couldn't tell you be-.." Sinamon stopped when Shiori slumped over as she passed out, "cause we weren't allowed to."

Kurama smiled, still holding Kikiyo's hand, "We could only expect as much."

Sinamon nodded, looking up to find Hiei gone. Shiori had actually lasted longer than she thought she would. As soon as she heard the word Youkai, she had expected Shiori to pick up the phone and call the asylum. With a sigh, she stood, searching for Hiei.

Genkai sat with Itsuko, trying to decide how to tell her that Yusuke was dead…again. They both held cups of tea, Genkai finding it soothing.

Genkai was the elder of the two and had been Yusuke's teacher when he first became a Spirit Detective. She had had to make sure all their Ningen bodies could hold up under the strain of using their powers and being attacked. She had strawberry blonde hair that fell to her mid back in waves. Her bangs were turning gray with age while there were periodic pieces of gray throughout her hair. Her skin was a pasty cream, wrinkles forming around her eyes and mouth.

Every time any of the Spirit Detectives died it only seemed to make her look older. Her eyes were a gray as rain clouds as she stared at the cup in her hand.

She didn't know how she was supposed to tell Yusuke's mother that her only son was dead. She was sure Raizan was throwing a fit somewhere in the Makai though only his servants would witness it.

"Itsuko, I think you should know something about Yusuke. It seems he's…"

"Hey Grandma, Mom, any food? I'm hungry," the boy before mentioned yelled.

Genkai forgot all her normal behavior and jumped up. Yusuke was knocked to the floor with the force of Genkai hugging him.

"You dimwit. Do that again and I'll give you a training from Hell."

Yusuke laughed, lightly hugging her back, "You should be glad. We defeated her. She shouldn't becoming back."

Itsuko returned a moment later with a bowl full of ramen, watching Yusuke's eyes light up.

"RAMEN!!"

The other occupants only smiled as the boy dived for the bowl filled with his favorite food. It was one thing he knew he would have missed the most in going back to the Reikai; the food in the Ningenkai was delicious.

Hiei sat outside on the roof, his hand running over the shining blade. His mind was lost in what seemed like another world. He had admitted he felt for her, but how was a Forbidden Child to know what love was? He had said it but that had been in the heat of battle. Did it actually mean it was true? They were meant to be together?

Sinamon stood out, stepping from the porch to look around. The rain almost instantly soaked through her clothes and drenched her hair. To Hiei, it looked as if she had just stepped out of the shower. She sneezed, tripping over a few rocks.

"Damn!" she yelled, sitting down to inspect the damage the fall had caused.

"You should go back inside before you get sick," Hiei whispered only loud enough for her to hear.

She looked up at him, shrugging it off as she continued to sit there, her arms resting on her knees. She stared across the road at the other houses that were darkened within.

"Did you ever think of the consequences of fighting Tamamo? I mean, you said you had lost everything but you still fought, why?" she asked not expecting an answer.

He dropped down silently beside her, draping his cloak over her shoulders. The smell of him,

sulfur and the light musky scent of sweat, assaulted her senses.

"I fought for those who I hated. If anyone was going to kill them, I would, not some woman."

Sinamon drew the cloak tighter around herself, feeling a chill on her skin. Hiei suddenly scooped her up in his arms and jumped to the second story, where he opened the window to her room.

He quickly entered, his eyes trained on Sinamon's face as he laid her down on her bed. He turned to leave, but she snagged his hand, pulling him back towards her.

"Don't leave me, not after we died apart. I don't want to be alone again."

Hiei climbed in behind her, leaning his back against the wall while Sinamon rested her back against his chest. She linked her fingers with his on one hand while the other traced invisible lines on his pants.

"Tell me why you hate so many people. I mean, Yukina loved almost everyone."

He sighed, "I raised myself. This is how I turned out."

She realized how much he disliked the topic so turned her head to stare into his eyes.

"And I love you for how you turned out. Plus you're extremely warm on cold nights like these."

She snuggled deeper in his embrace, holding on to him to make sure he would not leave her. He had to smile then, it was easy to tell at moments like these he loved her but did that extend past a brotherly love to something deeper. He couldn't tell but he needed to know desperately. He lightly kissed her temple, watching Sinamon turn to look at him.

"Remember your promise, Hiei. Don't start something you don't plan on finishing."

He smiled, flipping her so he was on top of her, "Maybe I choose to finish it now."

She smiled, pulling him down to kiss her, "Well, I'm afraid that my mother would kill us both if we did here." In between short pecking kisses, she whispered, "We should wait."

He nodded, trailing kisses down her neck as she wiggled beneath him. He chuckled, kissing her possessively before laying down beside her. She knew she didn't have to worry about him leaving her at this moment, he was hers and nothing could change that. He pulled her to his side, his arm tightly around her waist before succumbing to sleep.

The morning came early for those who battled Tamamo. They were beyond exhausted, but knew KoEnma needed to know what happened in the battle plus they wanted to make sure she was truly dead and gone. They had discussed meeting Kuwabara before going to the palace, but decided they would just meet them all there.

As it turned out, the meeting was earlier than they thought. Kuwabara, Prince KoEnma, Ayame, Lord Inari, Lady Nonomiko, Lord Hoko, and Kaguya were quietly discussing the preparations for the group funeral in honor of their fallen comrades.

Yusuke cracked a huge grin and stepped into the doorway, "Geez, you guys look like your best friend died or something."

"Not now, Urameshi. We've got to plan this funeral for you and the other Chosen Ones."

It took a moment before anyone noticed what he had said. They stared dumbstruck at the sight of them, each nervously fidgeting under the heavy stares.

"Guess what? Kurama and Kikiyo are getting married," Sinamon said to break the tension growing in the room.

"Really? Congratulations! Perhaps you two, KoEnma and I could plan a double wedding," Ayame said quietly, her hand over her stomach. "Of course, it should be in a few months. Hopefully before the babies are born."

Sinamon's mouth dropped open as she stared at her, "OK, obviously you want to put me back in the grave. Any other really surprising news?" Silence greeted her, which made her smile, "Okay then. My own shocking news…" she turned to Kikiyo and Kurama and said as innocently as possible, "What are you going to name her?"

After a few moments to comprehend her meaning, it suddenly sunk in. Sinamon, along with the others began laughing. No one noticed as Yusuke disappeared out of the room, in search for something of his own.

Han and Spyk cracked open the door to their rooms, staring at Niri who slept with his face pressed to the window as if he were waiting for something. Spyk picked him up gently, noting, too, tear streaks that covered his cheeks. He had been crying, hoping his family would return to him. It took only a moment before Niri awoke, his eyes staring uncomprehendingly at the man that held him.

"Daddy? Is it really you?"

Spyk smiled and nodded, "Yeah, we're here."

Niri jumped from his arms, throwing himself at Han. She was startled only momentarily before she wrapped her arms around the little boy. She never realized just how much she loved the little boy until now.

"Mommy! I missed you so much. Look, I lost my last tooth." To emphasize what he was saying he opened his mouth to show her the gap.

"Wow, you're just becoming a regular big boy aren't you?"

He smiled, reaching out to grab Spyk's hand. He hugged them both tightly as he stared at the floor.

"Why did you guys leave me? I thought I'd lost you both to Tamamo. I didn't want to believe it but…"

Spyk knelt before him, staring into his eyes, "Now, you listen. I know what you're thinking and it's wrong. We left trying to protect you and those that will come after you. You're one of the children of the future, our worlds will one day be yours to protect. We love you and we won't ever leave you willingly."

Han nodded, "It's true, Niri. I love you as well, more than I thought I could. Now how about we go to bed?"

The little boy watched his new family climb into bed, staring at him expectantly. He ran and dove into bed, snuggling to both his parents.

"I love you guys as well. 'Night."

Yusuke stepped into his room, staring at Kikyana's back. She continued to stare out the window, not noticing his presence.

"Kik, I'm back. Just like I promised."

She turned, the tears flowing down her cheeks. She ran up to him, stopping short from hugging him. As she scrutinized him, he felt uneasy as if something was about to happen.

"Are you really here? I mean, really?"

He nodded, a smile spreading across his face as he reached out to hold her. She stepped back, staring at him as if he were a ghost.

A smack resounded through the room as Yusuke was hit hard across his face.

"How could you?! You promised not to die and you betrayed me! I was right to begin with. We aren't suited to be married! I'm leaving to find someone who will care about what I have to say!"

Yusuke grabbed her arm lightly, turning her around only to get smacked once more, "Will you listen to me?! I care about what you have to say but I also have a loyalty to those who I have to protect. My life isn't exactly mine to live as I please. I have a job and whether you like it or not, I plan on doing that job. I may love you greatly but I'm not willing to sacrifice those that need me for my happiness."

Kikyana nodded, "Exactly. You care more about the world than you do yourself or me. I'm not willing to be a part of that life."

She turned from him, not even looking back as Yusuke called after her. It was done, for now she would lead another life while plotting to kill Yusuke. He deserved it even more now than before. With a sigh, she bypassed the office, not willing to participate in the celebration as she made to leave. She could only hope she had hurt Yusuke enough that he would search for her.

Then it would only be her pleasure to kill him and put him out of his misery. Thus doing so would end hers as well. With a smile, she stepped through a portal, coming to the cave of her dreams.

_Now life is mine to control. I do hope Lord Koro is prepared for me_, She thought without glancing back

.

Lord Koro sat on his throne, those few still living that were loyal to him standing before him.

"And what happened to her?"

A small Youkai stepped forward, "Destroyed without any means of rebirth, My Lord."

He nodded, his eyes calculating as he watched the group, "How many gods and goddess' are there joining us?"

"Five of the Celestials, My Lord."

"Really? Five of the twelve. Perfect, that's quite enough."

He leaned onto his fist, thinking as he watched them continuing to laugh and rejoice to be alive.

"My Lord, why did you bring them back? Are they not meant to be dead?"

"Ah, yes, they should be. Of course, they are now only there to serve my purpose and only I can deem them free," he chuckled lightly, "Ironic, really. They get rid of one enemy and end up becoming the enemy themselves."

The soldiers remained quiet, watching their god as he glared at the group.

"Let's see just where this will go."

Kikyana stepped forward, bowing to him until he motioned for her to stand, "You summoned me, My Lord. I have come as you wished."

Koro nodded, his eyes flickering from her to Yusuke, "Are you not marrying that…boy?"

With a shake of her head, Koro laughed as his gaze fixed on the Spirit Detectives. It truly was perfect, they thought everything was fine, everything was perfect but they couldn't be more wrong. They were now under his control and until he decided otherwise, there was nothing they could do. His eyes moved back to Kikyana, she would be very useful in the end. It was her knowledge that would destroy the Spirit Detectives in the end. No one knew their secrets better and now all their secrets were his to own. He could do with them as he pleased and no one would be able to stop him.

He waved his hand at his followers, dismissing them while concentrating on Kikyana, "You can stay here as my right-hand. Now go."

The soldiers dispersed from Lord Koro and returned to their lives as the normal Youkai working to survive the harsh life of the Makai. The Imperial palace of the Reikai though was ablaze with preparations as everyone worked to put on the best double wedding. It was a time to rejoice and be happy, even if they had only just lost their friend. Yukina was able to join them days later, feeling completely rejuvenated even though she had been dead. Hiei and her were near inseparable in everything they did. He even was willing to let Kuwabara and her get married in a few years. First however, it was time for life to return to normal, with a few advantages.

Everyone was happy even if they had lost something; they still had their friends and families to help them through everything.


End file.
